Fat Jack Mine
Established in 1880, the Fat Jack Mine is known for self-collected smoky amethyst scepters, with occasional rare finds of stolzite — a lead tungstate mineral.
History
The Fat Jack Mine sits in the Bradshaw Mountains near Crown King, Arizona. Established in 1880, it takes its name from "Fat Jack," a prospector who worked claims in the Crown King district during Arizona's territorial mining era.
Originally developed for lead, silver, and gold, the Fat Jack was a working metal mine through the early 20th century. The Bradshaw Mountains district produced significant tonnage of base metals alongside neighboring operations like the War Eagle, Tiger, and Crown King mines.
Today the mine is known to collectors for self-collected smoky amethyst scepters — dark, translucent crystal clusters with the classic scepter habit. Occasional rare finds include stolzite, a lead tungstate mineral prized when present in sharp crystals.
In 2025, Borussia Minerals acquired the Fat Jack Mine, continuing careful specimen recovery while preserving this historic mineralogical locality.
Geology
The Fat Jack Mine is situated in Precambrian metamorphic rocks of the Bradshaw Mountains, where lead-zinc-silver mineralization occurs in oxidized zones along fault structures.
The locality is best known for smoky amethyst scepters formed in quartz veins and pockets. Collectors also watch for rare stolzite (PbWO₄) — a lead tungstate that can appear as tabular or dipyramidal crystals in the oxidized zone.
Ongoing work continues to expand the known mineral diversity of this historic locality.