Sunray Mine
Ellenville
Ulster County
New York
United States of America
Brookite - Extremely rare crystals of brookite on quartz crystals have been observed from this location.
Chalcopyrite
Galena
Pyrite - Pyrite has been observed as small (< 4 mm) crystals and larger anhedral masses intimately associated with quartz crystals. Inclusions of pyrite in quartz crystals have been observed. The country rock surrounding the quartz veins often contains abundant pyritohedral crystals to 1 mm.
Quartz - occurs as colorless prismatic crystals, frequently showing moderate translucency near the point of attachment. Crystals seldom are larger than 4cm, and doubly terminated quartz crystals, although uncommon, have been recovered.. Inclusions of pyrite have been observed by the author. This location was historically one of the premier quartz crystal producers in southern New York State. The author has seen plates of quartz crystals as large as 4 by 4 feet from this locality.
Comments:
The Sunray Mine was one of the premier quartz crystal localities in New York State. The mine was operated erratically in the 19th century for its lead values. Its overall production seems to have been quite limited. Its early history is obscure. Apocryphal stories have been circulated of late 16th / early 17th century mining on this site by Spanish conquistadores (?!) in search of silver. The mine was in existance, though abandoned, in the 1840's; the author (DER) is in possession of a transciption of a manuscript written in 1817 by an assistant of Dr. Samuel Latham Mitchill, noted early 19th century New York mineralogist, which appears to describe the Sunray Mine (but does not actually name it). The mine was, at that time, abandoned.
The Sunray Mine was largely obliterated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in the 1970's, who blasted away large portions of the mountainside to provide fill for a coastal construction project in the New York City area. During that time, a considerable number of mud-filled quartz crystal pockets were exposed to collecting.
Sources:
Russell, D. E.
Personal Observations 1965-1972
