Gabe Gottes Mine
Sankt Jakob vein, Neuenberg, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, Colmar-Ribeauvillé, Haut-Rhin, Grand Est, France
An arsenic and silver mine in the historic mining district of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines.
The mine was opened in the 16th century, with one source saying 1549, and it was originally called ‘Heilig Kreuz (Holy Cross).’
In the 18th century it was renamed Gabe Gottes, and was worked until around 1940 – presumably closed due to WW2.
Mindat lists 72 minerals from this site, including 8 for which it is the type locality – Dervillite, Ferrarisite, Fluckite, Mcnearite, Phanouxite, Rauenthalite, Sainfeldite and Weilite.
A number of quality specimens of arsenic, silver, iron and lead minerals were found at this site, but it is part of an archaeological protected district and no further collecting is allowed.
There is an excellent French language writeup on the site on the gabe-gottes.fr site linked below.
The mine can be visited as part of a guided tour.
Further reading
If you are interested in other classic French locales we may have stock from the following locales.
French locales
- Croix-de-Pallières, Saint-Félix-de-Pallières, Gard, France
- Gabe Gottes Mine, Sankt Jakob vein, Neuenberg, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, Colmar-Ribeauvillé, Haut-Rhin, Grand Est, France
- La Bessière Quarry, Saint-Genès-la-Tourette, Issoire, Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
- Ste Barbe vein, Montmins mining district, Échassières, Vichy, Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
- Tistoulet mine, Padern, Narbonne, Aude, Occitanie, France
For the rest of our French stock, see below.
France
Fossils from France - Minerals from France