Question
I am very interested in the mineralogy of pegmatites. I live in the northwest valley. Coukd you please tell me, where would the closest pegmatite be, that I could study? Peter
Answer
Peter, Decades ago, Richard Jahns, published a bulletin on pegmatites of the White Picacho District northwest of the Phoenix Basin. The map below shows his 'Arizona Pegmatite Belt'. That phrase did not find favor with geologists and has fallen out of use. But he did identify a number of pegmatite deposits.
You might also look at Ken Phillips short paper on beryl, which commonly occurs in some pegmatites. He includes a coarse map showing beryl location in central an northwestern Arizona.
The third edition of 'Mineralogy of Arizona' might be a good place to start your search. The book is still in press or you might find it at your library.
Jahns (1952) http://repository.azgs.az.gov/uri_gin/azgs/dlio/84
Phillips (1986) http://repository.azgs.az.gov/uri_gin/azgs/dlio/1607
Good luck with your study.
Mike
