Post by 1dave on Nov 22, 2018 16:03:58 GMT -5
Back in the day bottles of Mexican opal (they must have consumed a lot of Alka-Seltzer) were always available at rock shows.
In 1980 I visited a friend in Guadalajara Mexico. He asked if I would like to see the opal mine.
As we left the mine I stopped to ask a person along the dirt road if there was anyone who would like to sell their finds. We drew an instant crowd! I bought a dozen Alka-Seltzer bottles.
I just found a couple of them today! I'll try to reconstruct that trip via Google earth.
Jalisco has a lot of mines, and many of those near Magdalena have opal.
You have two roads from Guadalajara to Magdalena, but I would take the route less traveled, 15 through the town of Tequila. Lots of interesting murals etc. to see!
www.loscabosguide.com/history-mexican-opal/
The first mine that was discovered in the region was La Unica, located on the outskirts of volcano in Tequila. After this other mines were discovered such as La Estancia, San Simón, La Mora, El Huaxical, Las Latillas, Las Cruces, San Martín, La Pata de Gallo, Mina del Hostotipaquillo and also in the mountain range of El Salvador Municipality of Tequila several mines these mines were discovered: La Perla, El Cobano, Las Azucenas, El Santoniño, La Linda, El Verde, Acatan, La Camelia, Las Crucitas and La Falda. All these mines were discovered and exploited and this is how in the years 1965-1975 the opal fever took place in the region.
It is said that the opals were pulled out in such quantities, that they were sold by sacks and the people dedicated to this incredible gem were in the thousands. What great times they were! It is also said that people lived a very prosperous era; some of these people still exist and it would be quite interesting to hear their anecdote and stories of what it was like a day of opal fever.
It is said that the opals were pulled out in such quantities, that they were sold by sacks and the people dedicated to this incredible gem were in the thousands. What great times they were! It is also said that people lived a very prosperous era; some of these people still exist and it would be quite interesting to hear their anecdote and stories of what it was like a day of opal fever.
There is a lot of confusion about the mine locations. Mindat shows three of them at the same point on a dirt road.
My best guess is that two locations are above the other. I visited the lower - the Huaxical mine.
To get there turn on the unnamed street -
The opal is found scattered through openings in an ancient rhyolite flow.
There is a lot of lost opal in the tailings! This piece of rhyolite shows nothing.
but then -