Field Trip Report:

Redmond Mine,
Haywood County, N.C.
September 24th, 2005

Another fun trip today with the M.A.G.M.A. members, the weather was perfect, we met at the Armadillo rock shop and loaded everyone into the MAGMA Mobile and headed to the Redmond Mine. The Redmond is noted for it's fine specimens of copper related minerals such as azurite, malachite, cerussite, you may also find pyromorphite by breaking the quartz boulders found a few hundred feet above the mine.

Heading into the mine.

The Henderson County club had reported dead rats floating in the water as you enter the mine, we did not see any as we entered, you will need hip waders to enter unless you don't mind the cold stinky water.

After poking about a bit, I settled into one location where I had spotted some cerussite crystals, this opened into a fairly good size pocket, the trouble is, getting the crystals off the wall in one piece, this pocket came out in three pieces.

Cerussite pocket about 10" x 10".

Close up of crystals on wall.

Chris Wells found this cool specimen of what I think is aragonite.

After a few hours in the mine we went outside to join the others and see what was found, then we loaded up and headed to the pizza place for lunch.

One of the sections of the pocket I removed from the wall, about 1" x 2".

Another piece of the pocket with scattered crystals.

Close up of twin cerussite crystals.

Of course plenty of the usual azurite and malachite was found, everything found is what I consider to be micro minerals, you may find nice size pieces covered with good blue azurite but the crystals will always be small, a great location for the micro collectors, I was scolded by John D. for enjoying the micros a little to much, so our next trip will be to collect something big!

See you then!
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