History · Geology
About Mina Ojuela, Mapimí
The Mina Ojuela complex at Mapimí, Durango (northern Mexico), is the world’s premier locality for oxidized Pb-Zn-Ag secondary minerals. Active since the 17th century, it has produced more aesthetic crystallized specimens of adamite, legrandite, aurichalcite, rosasite, paradamite, and hemimorphite than any other locality on Earth.
Geology
The deposit is a carbonate-replacement Pb-Zn-Ag system in Cretaceous limestones. Deep oxidation produced extensive supergene zones now mined at the lower levels for fluorite, gypsum and silica gangue alongside collector specimens.
Notable Minerals
Adamite (lemon-yellow brilliant fluorescent), legrandite (golden-yellow Zn-arsenate, Mapimí is essentially the only world source), aurichalcite (sky-blue acicular), rosasite (botryoidal blue-green), wulfenite (orange tabular), mimetite, hemimorphite, paradamite, calcite, goethite.
Collector Notes
Mapimí specimens are global benchmarks; legrandite “Aztec Sun” sold for record-setting prices. Pair with Tsumeb and Lavrion for the world Pb-Zn oxidation suite.
Minerals Produced Here
- Adamite (橄榄铜砷石)
- Aurichalcite (绿铜锌矿)
- Calcite (方解石)
- Goethite (针铁矿)
- Hemimorphite (异极矿)
- Mimetite (砷铅矿)
- Rosasite (蓝绿铜锌矿)
- Wulfenite (钼铅矿)
