Provenite

Little Three Mine

MineDraft data

33.0572° N, 116.7931° W · ± 1 km

Albite, Beryl, Morganite and Smoky quartz from California, United States, with photos of specimens from this locality.

View on the map

Minerals found here

AlbiteBerylMorganiteSmoky quartz

On the same specimen

Same specimen Albite with Quartz

2 specimen photo(s) from this locality show quartz with albite together. The pairing comes from the photographer's file name and label, so the relationship between the two minerals is not specified.

Albite at Little Three Mine

Large schorl group with a spessartine crystal on white albite and quartz matrix from the Little Three Mine.
Large schorl group with a spessartine crystal on white albite and quartz matrix from the Little Three Mine.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Orange spessartine crystals on white albite with a smoky quartz crystal, Little Three Mine.
Orange spessartine crystals on white albite with a smoky quartz crystal, Little Three Mine.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Knob of bladed albite (cleavelandite) pierced by smoky quartz crystals, Little Three Mine.
Knob of bladed albite (cleavelandite) pierced by smoky quartz crystals, Little Three Mine.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Red-orange spessartine crystal perched on white albite with schorl, Little Three Mine.
Red-orange spessartine crystal perched on white albite with schorl, Little Three Mine.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Specimen made up mainly of bladed cleavelandite albite crystals, Little Three Mine.
Specimen made up mainly of bladed cleavelandite albite crystals, Little Three Mine.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Formula
NaAlSi₃O₈
Morphology
Snow-white bladed albite (cleavelandite) masses forming matrix
Typical size
Matrix pieces from about 3 to 17 cm
Color / luster
White, sparkling
Associated minerals
Spessartineschorlsmoky quartzelbaite
Availability
Unknown
History
Many classic garnet-on-albite pieces date from the Spaulding family's mining of the pegmatite

Sources: SRC-538

About Albite →

Beryl at Little Three Mine

Complete hexagonal goshenite beryl with pale pink zones and a small smoky quartz from the Little Three Mine, California.
Complete hexagonal goshenite beryl with pale pink zones and a small smoky quartz from the Little Three Mine, California.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Second view of a hexagonal goshenite beryl thumbnail from the Little Three Mine, California.
Second view of a hexagonal goshenite beryl thumbnail from the Little Three Mine, California.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Formula
Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈
Morphology
Short hexagonal prisms
Typical size
Thumbnail crystals, under 2 cm
Color / luster
Mainly colourless (goshenite) with pale pink zones; vitreous
Associated minerals
Smoky quartz
Availability
Scarce

Sources: SRC-698

About Beryl →

Morganite at Little Three Mine

Complete pink morganite crystal of 53 g from the Little Three Mine, Ramona.
Complete pink morganite crystal of 53 g from the Little Three Mine, Ramona.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Formula
Be3Al2Si6O18
Morphology
Complete single crystal
Typical size
About 53 g
Color / luster
Pink
History
The mine is better known for garnet and schorl; beryl is rare here

Sources: SRC-841 SRC-851

About Morganite →

Smoky quartz at Little Three Mine

Small gemmy smoky quartz crystal, labelled Little Three Mine.
Small gemmy smoky quartz crystal, labelled Little Three Mine.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Blocky lustrous smoky quartz crystal on cleavelandite, labelled Little Three Mine.
Blocky lustrous smoky quartz crystal on cleavelandite, labelled Little Three Mine.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Two transparent smoky quartz crystals with muscovite books on albite, labelled Little Three Mine.
Two transparent smoky quartz crystals with muscovite books on albite, labelled Little Three Mine.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Formula
SiO₂
Morphology
Doubly terminated and blocky crystals on pegmatite pocket matrix
Typical size
Photographed specimens 2 to 11 cm
Color / luster
Smoky, transparent to gemmy
Associated minerals
Albite (cleavelandite)muscovitemicroclineapatite
Availability
Unknown
History
Pockets opened in 1982 are documented in dealer notes; one specimen was self-collected in 1965

Sources: SRC-439 SRC-440 SRC-448

About Smoky quartz →

Geology of the locality

Setting
Gem-bearing granitic pegmatite dike system in the Ramona district, San Diego County.
Host rock
Pegmatite
Region
California
Country
United States

Coordinates converted from 33 deg 3 min 26 s N, 116 deg 47 min 35 s W on the Mindat locality page. Owned and open for guided collecting according to a visitor guide; current production not confirmed.

Sources: SRC-439 SRC-440

Sources

  1. SRC-439 · Database
    Little Three Mine, Ramona District, San Diego County, California, USAMindat.org contributors · Mindat.org / Hudson Institute of Mineralogy
  2. SRC-440 · Website
    Little Three MineRoadTrip America · RoadTrip America
  3. SRC-538 · Website
    File:Albite-Quartz-Spessartine-ck3a.jpgRobert M. Lavinsky · Wikimedia Commons
  4. SRC-698 · Website
    File:Beryl-231670.jpgRobert M. Lavinsky · Wikimedia Commons
  5. SRC-841 · Website
    Morganite Value, Price, and Jewelry InformationArem, J.E.; Clark, D.; Smigel, B. · 2025 · International Gem Society
  6. SRC-851 · Website
    File:Beryl-29514.jpg (Wikimedia Commons)Robert M. Lavinsky · Wikimedia Commons
  7. SRC-448 · Website
    File:Quartz-Albite-190274.jpg and related Little Three files (Robert M. Lavinsky)Wikimedia Commons · Wikimedia Commons

Draft data from the Provenite workbook. Check entries against the cited sources before relying on them. Photos are open-licence images from Wikimedia Commons; the author and licence are given with each photo.