Fluorescent Minerals of Arizona

Near Tucson…Bonita Mine, Oracle, Gila Monster Mine, Mammoth-Saint Anthony Mine, Glove Mine and 3-Color Mine The Gila Monster Mine is located in the Tucson Mountains within the Tucson city limits in Pima County. The Glove Mine is located south of Tucson in the Santa Rita Mountains and the Bonito Mine and Oracle claims are located North East of Tucson on Highway 77. There are 2 to 4 color specimens from this area, most display best under SW light. The Mammoth-Saint Anthony Mine, St. Anthony deposit, Tiger, Mammoth District, Pinal Co. has some nice SW Calcite and Willemite.

Near Superior… Reymert Mine, Ajax Mine and Woodpecker Mine The Reymert Silver Mine is located in Reymert Canyon, Superior area, Mineral Mountain District, Pinal County and is near the ghost town of Reymert, Arizona. The town's occupants worked at Reymert Mine, until the 1950's. Reymert Road is about 5 miles South of Route 60 on Mineral Mountain Road. The Ajax Mine is located in the Bell Butte area, Mineral Mountain District, Pinal Co. The Woodpecker Mine is located 3.9 miles NE of Mineral Mountain. Most of the specimens from this area are Fluorite, Calcite, Willemite, Sphalerite and some are phosphorescent. These sites have all been closed since the 1950’s.

Southeastern Arizona… Texas-Arizona Mine, Donna Anna, Bisbee and Hilltop Mine Texas-Arizona Mine near Dragoon in Cochise County has Hydrozincite and Hemimorphite. The Donna Anna Claim (Doña Ana) located near the Bluebird Mine in the Little Dragoon Mountains is famous for its Fluorite which LW is blue and SW is pink…the exact reverse of Terlingua. Bisbee is known for its LW Sphalerite. Hilltop Mine in the Chiricahua Mountains is best known for its butterscotch Wulfenite, but has also produced Calcite, Willemite and Hydrozincite SW specimens.

Huachuca Mountains… Miller Canyon, State of Texas Mine, Reef Mine, Copper Canyon Miller Canyon is in the Huachuca Mountains near the town of Sierra Vista in Cochise County. Some of the Calcite and Willemite specimens from here rival the famous “New Jersey Glow” specimens. They have become a real collector’s find! The State of Texas Mine is located in Montezuma Canyon, Hartford District (Huachuca Mountains District) and it produced some SW Calcite, Willemite and LW Sphalerite. Copper Canyon has produced some nice Willemite, Calcite and Hydrozincite specimens. The Reef Mine located in Carr Canyon, Hartford District (Huachuca Mountains District), Huachuca Mountains has produced Fluorite, Scheelite, Smithsonite and Sphalerite.

Castle Dome Mining District … Castle Dome Mine, Linda Group, Eighty-One Mine, Señora Mine, Hull Mine, Colorado Mine, Nayal Black Hawk Mine and the Cleveland-Chicago Vein Group. The Castle Dome Mining District near Yuma in Yuma County is one of the oldest and most active silver mining areas in Arizona. Most mining occurred from the late 1800’s to 1984. After that collectors swarmed the area. These mines produced some very nice specimens of Calcite, Caliche, Fluorite, Hyalite, Hydrozincite and Willemite. Some Mines are closed and abandoned, but there are still some nice specimens to be found in the Castle Dome area by collectors. Most specimens fluoresce well under SW ultra-violet light with added color under MW and/or LW.