Mineral Monday: Blue Mud

Learn about the mineral Blue Mud on this week's episode of Mineral Monday

Blue Mud

This Blue Mud specimen can be found in case on the main floor of the Keck Museum.

Mineral Monday: Blue Mud

Learn about the mineral Blue Mud on this week's episode of Mineral Monday

This Blue Mud specimen can be found in case on the main floor of the Keck Museum.

Blue Mud

This Blue Mud specimen can be found in case on the main floor of the Keck Museum.

Back in the early days of gold mining in Virginia City, miners kept coming across what they thought was a useless blue mud. However, it turned out this blue mud was actually something quite valuable! Any guesses?


More about the Keck Museum and Mineral Monday

Located in the Mackay School of Mines building at the University of Nevada, Reno, the W.M. Keck Earth Science and Mineral Engineering Museum is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the first Saturday of the month from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

The Keck Museum houses an outstanding collection of minerals, ores, fossil specimens, and photographs, in addition to mining related relics. The museum is also home to some of the spectacular Mackay Silver Collection, created by Tiffany & Co., for John Mackay and completed in 1878.

For directions and museum details, visit unr.edu/keck

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