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Downieville Mining District, Sierra County, California, USAi
Regional Level Types
Downieville Mining DistrictMining District
Sierra CountyCounty
CaliforniaState
USACountry

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01056870017272303373723.jpg
Native Gold

Downieville Mining District, Sierra County, California, USA
03288540017272303373645.jpg
Native Gold

Downieville Mining District, Sierra County, California, USA
05361380017272303374590.jpg
Native Gold

Downieville Mining District, Sierra County, California, USA
01056870017272303373723.jpg
Native Gold

Downieville Mining District, Sierra County, California, USA
03288540017272303373645.jpg
Native Gold

Downieville Mining District, Sierra County, California, USA
05361380017272303374590.jpg
Native Gold

Downieville Mining District, Sierra County, California, USA
01056870017272303373723.jpg
Native Gold

Downieville Mining District, Sierra County, California, USA
03342240017272303385449.jpg
Native Gold

Downieville Mining District, Sierra County, California, USA
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
39° 33' 33'' North , 120° 49' 36'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
39.55944,-120.82694
GRN:
N27W67
Type:
Mining District
Kรถppen climate type:
Csb : Warm-summer Mediterranean climate
Mindat Locality ID:
217067
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:217067:4
GUID (UUID V4):
0


NOTE: There is no USGS MRDS database file for this district.

Location: This is a lode and placer gold-mining district in west-central Sierra Countv in the general vicinity of the town of Downieville. It includes the Fir Cap Mountain, Craycroft, China Flat, and Slug Canyon areas and part of the Pliocene Ridge area. The Goodyear's Bar-Alleghany belt lies immediately to the W, the Sierra City district to the E, and the American Hill district to the S.

History: This area was prospected soon after the beginning of the gold rush. Major William Downie and his party arrived here in November, 1849. Soon a town was laid out, which was named for him early in 1850. The Downieville mining district was organized with "claims fixed at 30 feet per man". Many rich strikes were made; one claim 60 feet square yielded $80,000 in six months. At nearby Tin Cup Diggings, three men filled a tin cup with gold each day before quitting. A 25-pound nugget was found in the river upstream from the town in 1850. More than 5,000 persons lived here in 1851. After the surface placers were exhausted, the river was mined, and hydraulic and drift mining became important. Mining continued almost steadily until World War II, and intermittent prospecting and skin diving for gold continues.

Geology: The district is underlain predominently by north-trending beds of phyllitc, slate and quartzite of the Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous to Permian). To the west are greenstone, amphibolite, and serpentine. The higher ridges are capped by Tertiary andesite, which, in places, overlies rich Tertiary auriferous gravels. There are fairly extensive recent river and terrace gravels along the Yuba River and its branches.

Ore Deposits: A considerable number of gold-quartz veins occur chiefly in greenstone and slate. The veins range from one to 10 feet in thickness. The ore contains free gold and varying amounts of sulfides.

The milling-grade ore usually averages ยผ to โ…“ ounce Au per ton. Some ore shoots had stoping lengths of as much as several hundred feet. Some high-grade ore pockets have been taken from some of the mines. The Tertiary channel gravels are quartzitic, often well-cemented, and in places contain extremely coarse gold.

Mines: Lode: Alhambra, Bessler, Elcy, Finney (York) ($75,000 +), Gold Bluff ($1.5 million), Gold Point (Grey Eagle) ($100,000 +), High Commission, Jumper, Mexican, Oro, Oxford ($100,000+), Secret Canyon, Sierra Standard ($75,000). Placer: Brown Bear, City of Six, Craycroft, Golden Hub, Kirkpatrick, Klondike, Mott and Mt. Vernon, Monte Carlo, New York, White Bear ($200,000+), Wide Awake ($100,000 +).

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded from this region.


Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

14 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

โ“˜ Arsenopyrite
Formula: FeAsS
โ“˜ Chromite
Formula: Fe2+Cr3+2O4
โ“˜ Clinochlore
Formula: Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
โ“˜ Clinochlore var. Pennine
Formula: Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
โ“˜ 'Fayalite-Forsterite Series'
โ“˜ Galena
Formula: PbS
Description: Occurs as masses in a limestone cave.
โ“˜ Magnesiochromite
Formula: MgCr2O4
โ“˜ Muscovite
Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
โ“˜ Muscovite var. Mariposite
Formula: K(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
โ“˜ Muscovite var. Phengite
Formula: KAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
โ“˜ Native Bismuth
Formula: Bi
Description: Represented in the Stanford University collection.
โ“˜ Native Gold
Formula: Au
Localities: Reported from at least 70 localities in this region.
โ“˜ Native Silver
Formula: Ag
โ“˜ Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
โ“˜ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
Localities: Reported from at least 37 localities in this region.
โ“˜ 'Serpentine Subgroup'
Formula: D3[Si2O5](OH)4
โ“˜ Stibnite
Formula: Sb2S3
Description: Occurs with gold ores in local mines.
โ“˜ Talc
Formula: Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
โ“˜ Uvarovite
Formula: Ca3Cr3+2(SiO4)3

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
โ“˜Native Gold1.AA.05Au
โ“˜Native Silver1.AA.05Ag
โ“˜Native Bismuth1.CA.05Bi
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
โ“˜Galena2.CD.10PbS
โ“˜Stibnite2.DB.05Sb2S3
โ“˜Pyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
โ“˜Arsenopyrite2.EB.20FeAsS
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
โ“˜Chromite4.BB.05Fe2+Cr3+2O4
โ“˜Magnesiochromite4.BB.05MgCr2O4
โ“˜Quartz4.DA.05SiO2
Group 9 - Silicates
โ“˜Uvarovite9.AD.25Ca3Cr3+2(SiO4)3
โ“˜Talc9.EC.05Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
โ“˜Muscovite9.EC.15KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
โ“˜var. Phengite9.EC.15KAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
โ“˜var. Mariposite9.EC.15K(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
โ“˜Clinochlore9.EC.55Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
โ“˜var. Pennine9.EC.55Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Unclassified
โ“˜'Fayalite-Forsterite Series'-
โ“˜'Serpentine Subgroup'-D3[Si2O5](OH)4

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hโ“˜ ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Hโ“˜ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Hโ“˜ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Hโ“˜ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Hโ“˜ Clinochlore var. PennineMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Hโ“˜ Muscovite var. MaripositeK(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
Hโ“˜ Serpentine SubgroupD3[Si2O5](OH)4
OOxygen
Oโ“˜ ChromiteFe2+Cr23+O4
Oโ“˜ ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Oโ“˜ MagnesiochromiteMgCr2O4
Oโ“˜ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Oโ“˜ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Oโ“˜ QuartzSiO2
Oโ“˜ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Oโ“˜ UvaroviteCa3Cr23+(SiO4)3
Oโ“˜ Fayalite-Forsterite Series
Oโ“˜ Clinochlore var. PennineMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Oโ“˜ Muscovite var. MaripositeK(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
Oโ“˜ Serpentine SubgroupD3[Si2O5](OH)4
MgMagnesium
Mgโ“˜ ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Mgโ“˜ MagnesiochromiteMgCr2O4
Mgโ“˜ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Mgโ“˜ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Mgโ“˜ Fayalite-Forsterite Series
Mgโ“˜ Clinochlore var. PennineMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
AlAluminium
Alโ“˜ ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Alโ“˜ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Alโ“˜ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Alโ“˜ Clinochlore var. PennineMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Alโ“˜ Muscovite var. MaripositeK(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
SiSilicon
Siโ“˜ ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Siโ“˜ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Siโ“˜ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Siโ“˜ QuartzSiO2
Siโ“˜ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Siโ“˜ UvaroviteCa3Cr23+(SiO4)3
Siโ“˜ Fayalite-Forsterite Series
Siโ“˜ Clinochlore var. PennineMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Siโ“˜ Muscovite var. MaripositeK(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
Siโ“˜ Serpentine SubgroupD3[Si2O5](OH)4
SSulfur
Sโ“˜ ArsenopyriteFeAsS
Sโ“˜ GalenaPbS
Sโ“˜ PyriteFeS2
Sโ“˜ StibniteSb2S3
KPotassium
Kโ“˜ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Kโ“˜ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Kโ“˜ Muscovite var. MaripositeK(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
CaCalcium
Caโ“˜ UvaroviteCa3Cr23+(SiO4)3
CrChromium
Crโ“˜ ChromiteFe2+Cr23+O4
Crโ“˜ MagnesiochromiteMgCr2O4
Crโ“˜ UvaroviteCa3Cr23+(SiO4)3
Crโ“˜ Muscovite var. MaripositeK(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
FeIron
Feโ“˜ ArsenopyriteFeAsS
Feโ“˜ ChromiteFe2+Cr23+O4
Feโ“˜ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Feโ“˜ PyriteFeS2
Feโ“˜ Fayalite-Forsterite Series
AsArsenic
Asโ“˜ ArsenopyriteFeAsS
AgSilver
Agโ“˜ Native SilverAg
SbAntimony
Sbโ“˜ StibniteSb2S3
AuGold
Auโ“˜ Native GoldAu
PbLead
Pbโ“˜ GalenaPbS
BiBismuth
Biโ“˜ Native BismuthBi

Localities in this Region

USA
USA

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
USA

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

Crawford, James John (1894): Gold Bluff Mine, California State Mining Bureau, Report of the State Mineralogist (Report 12): 12: 266.
Turner, Henry Ward (1897), Description of the gold belt: description of the Downieville sheet: USGS Geol. Atlas Downieville folio (Folio No. 37), 8 pp.
Lindgren, Waldemar (1911), The Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada of California: USGS Professional Paper 73, 226 pp.:111.
MacBoyle, Errol (1920), Mines and mineral resources of Sierra County: Downieville Mining District, California Mining Bureau (Report 17): 8-11.
Logan, Clarence August (1929), Sierra County: Brush Creek, City of Six, and Grey Eagle mines, California Division of Mines (Report 25): 160, 161, 165-166.
Averill, Charles V. (1942a), Mineral resources of Sierra County: California Journal of Mines and Geology, California Division Mines (Report 38): 38(1): 17-48.
Carlson, D.W. & W.B. Clark (1956), Lode gold mines of the Alleghany-Downieville area, Sierra County, California: California Journal of Mines and Geology (Report 52): 52(3): 237-272.
Clark, W.B. (1970) Gold Districts of California. Bulletin 193. California Division of Mines & Geologyp.44
White, III, W.W., Scott, D.F., Barnes, D.J., and Neumann, T.R. (1983), Mineral Investigation of the East and West Yuba Rare II areas (Nos. 5264 and 5172), Sierra and Plumas Counties, California: U.S. Bureau of Mines Summary Report No. MLA 71-83.
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