Pala | |
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San Antonio de Pala | |
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![]() Location in San Diego County, California | |
Coordinates: 33°21′55″N117°4′36″W / 33.36528°N 117.07667°W | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
County | San Diego |
Population | |
• Total | 1,490 |
Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
ZIP codes | 92059 |
Area codes | 442/760 |
Pala is a small, mostly Native American community and census-designated place located within the Pala Indian Reservation in San Diego County, California. For centuries a traditional gathering place of native peoples. The Mission San Antonio de Pala or Pala Mission was established in Pala by early 19th century as an asistencia or sub-mission.
The community is north of Escondido in the San Diego-Carlsbad metro area. In the National Geographic Names database, it is officially catalogued as feature number 1661174. The community is in ZIP Code 92059, and inside area code 760.
The communities name may be derived from the Native American Cupeño or Luiseño language term pale, meaning "water." [2] Another possible origin of the name is the Spanish word pala, which means "shovel."
The community is in the Pacific time zone. Pala is at an altitude of 404 feet, located at 33°21′55″N117°04′36″W / 33.36528°N 117.07667°W (latitude 33.365N, longitude 117.075W).
After United States annexation of California following its victory in the Mexican–American War, Pala became known for its mineral resources, including gold and tourmaline. Numerous gem mines were established in 1890s, of which more than twenty are listed in the Mindat database. [3] Gem mines in the Pala District still produce tourmaline, with the pink variety as the regional specialty.
China’s Empress Dowager Cixi (1860-1908) was said to have valued the pink tourmaline of Pala to be used for carving buttons and other fashion accessories which fueled a boom for pink tourmaline lasting from about 1901–1911. [4] Local Pala area miner and gem cutter Fred Rynerson noted the best years for San Diego Tourmaline Mining Company were from 1903–1910, [5] and the China trade customers were only interested in pink tourmaline cabochon material suitable for shaping vice gem quality for faceting. [6]
The first discovery of Morganite has been attributed to both Pala and as Madagascar. Morganite also termed rose beryl was named by Dr. George F. Kunz at a meeting in December 1910 at the New York Academy of Sciences and put on display at American Museum of Natural History. [7] Dr. Kunz appeared to be in possession of samples from both Madagascar and California at time of naming with the sample displayed coming from Madagascar. [8] In contemporary accounts Dr. Kunz states Morganite was “principally found off Madagascar” implying that in 1910 it was known to exist in more than one place. [9]
In 1902 the purple-colored gemstone kunzite discovered near Pala by Dr. George F. Kunz and by 1903 was named in his honor while being displayed at Tiffany and Co. and American Museum of Natural History, New York. [10] Dr. Kunz’s 1932 obituary describes him as “Americas greatest expert on gems” [11]
The 1915 San Diego Panama–California Exposition featured a reproduction of the Pala Chief Mine [12] termed “The Gem Mine”. [13] In order to match the original mine, there were timbers and red pay streak mud brought from Pala Mountain to San Diego’s Balboa Park where it was used in a display of tunnels with replicated gem pockets of tourmaline, beryl, and kunzite as found at the Pala Chief mine. [14]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 1,490 | — | |
U.S. Decennial Census [15] 2010 [16] 2020 [17] |
Pala first appeared as a census designated place in the 2020 U.S. Census. [18]
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2020 [17] | % 2020 |
---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 68 | 4.56% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 3 | 0.20% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 756 | 50.74% |
Asian alone (NH) | 4 | 0.27% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 0.07% |
Other race alone (NH) | 3 | 0.20% |
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 53 | 3.56% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 602 | 40.40% |
Total | 1,490 | 100.00% |
Amblygonite is a fluorophosphate mineral, (Li,Na)AlPO4(F,OH), composed of lithium, sodium, aluminium, phosphate, fluoride and hydroxide. The mineral occurs in pegmatite deposits and is easily mistaken for albite and other feldspars. Its density, cleavage and flame test for lithium are diagnostic. Amblygonite forms a series with montebrasite, the low fluorine endmember. Geologic occurrence is in granite pegmatites, high-temperature tin veins, and greisens. Amblygonite occurs with spodumene, apatite, lepidolite, tourmaline, and other lithium-bearing minerals in pegmatite veins. It contains about 10% lithium, and has been utilized as a source of lithium. The chief commercial sources have historically been the deposits of California and France.
Beryl ( BERR-əl) is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium silicate with the chemical formula Be3Al2Si6O18. Well-known varieties of beryl include emerald and aquamarine. Naturally occurring hexagonal crystals of beryl can be up to several meters in size, but terminated crystals are relatively rare. Pure beryl is colorless, but it is frequently tinted by impurities; possible colors are green, blue, yellow, pink, and red (the rarest). It is an ore source of beryllium.
A gemstone is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. Certain rocks and occasionally organic materials that are not minerals may also be used for jewelry and are therefore often considered to be gemstones as well. Most gemstones are hard, but some softer minerals such as brazilianite may be used in jewelry because of their color or luster or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. However, generally speaking, soft minerals are not typically used as gemstones by virtue of their brittleness and lack of durability.
Topaz is a silicate mineral made of aluminum and fluorine with the chemical formula Al2SiO4(F, OH)2. It is used as a gemstone in jewelry and other adornments. Common topaz in its natural state is colorless, though trace element impurities can make it pale blue or golden brown to yellow-orange. Topaz is often treated with heat or radiation to make it a deep blue, reddish-orange, pale green, pink, or purple.
Tourmaline is a crystalline silicate mineral group in which boron is compounded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. This gemstone comes in a wide variety of colors.
Lepidolite is a lilac-gray or rose-colored member of the mica group of minerals with chemical formula K(Li,Al)3(Al,Si,Rb)4O10(F,OH)2. It is the most abundant lithium-bearing mineral and is a secondary source of this metal. It is the major source of the alkali metal rubidium.
Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral consisting of lithium aluminium inosilicate, LiAl(SiO3)2, and is a commercially important source of lithium. It occurs as colorless to yellowish, purplish, or lilac kunzite (see below), yellowish-green or emerald-green hiddenite, prismatic crystals, often of great size. Single crystals of 14.3 m (47 ft) in size are reported from the Black Hills of South Dakota, United States.
Amateur geology or rock collecting is the non-professional study and hobby of collecting rocks and minerals or fossil specimens from the natural environment. In Australia, New Zealand and Cornwall, the amateur geologists call this activity fossicking. The first amateur geologists were prospectors looking for valuable minerals and gemstones for commercial purposes. Eventually, however, more people have been drawn to amateur geology for recreational purposes, mainly for the beauty that rocks and minerals provide.
Spessartine is a nesosilicate, manganese aluminium garnet species, Mn2+3Al2(SiO4)3. This mineral is sometimes mistakenly referred to as spessartite.
The Luiseño or Payómkawichum are an Indigenous people of California who, at the time of the first contacts with the Spanish in the 16th century, inhabited the coastal area of southern California, ranging 50 miles (80 km) from the present-day southern part of Los Angeles County to the northern part of San Diego County, and inland 30 miles (48 km). In the Luiseño language, the people call themselves Payómkawichum, meaning "People of the West." After the establishment of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, "the Payómkawichum began to be called San Luiseños, and later, just Luiseños by Spanish missionaries due to their proximity to this San Luis Rey mission.
California's 48th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers East County, San Diego as well as the Temecula Valley. Major cities in the district include Temecula, Murrieta, and portions of Escondido. It is currently represented by Republican Darrell Issa.
California's 49th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is represented by Mike Levin.
George Frederick Kunz was an American mineralogist and mineral collector.
The Pala Indian Reservation is located in the middle of San Luis Rey River Valley in northern San Diego County, California, east of the community of Fallbrook, and has been assigned feature ID 272502.
Pala Casino Spa Resort is a casino hotel and spa in Pala, California, on the Pala Indian Reservation northeast of San Diego. It is owned and operated by the Pala Band of Mission Indians, a federally recognized tribe.
Mineral collecting is the hobby of systematically collecting, identifying and displaying mineral specimens. Mineral collecting can also be a part of the profession of mineralogy and allied geologic specialties. Individual collectors often specialize in certain areas, for example collecting samples of several varieties of the mineral calcite from locations spread throughout a region or the world, or of minerals found in pegmatites.
Mining is an important industry in Pakistan. Pakistan has deposits of several minerals including coal, copper, gold, chromite, mineral salt, bauxite and several other minerals. There are also a variety of precious and semi-precious minerals that are also mined. These include peridot, aquamarine, topaz, ruby, emerald, rare-earth minerals bastnaesite and xenotime, sphene, tourmaline, and many varieties and types of quartz.
The Rio Tinto Boron Mine in Boron, California is California's largest open-pit mine and the largest borax mine in the world, producing nearly half the world's borates. Ore reserves are sufficient for current economic production through early 2040's. It is operated by the Borax division of the Rio Tinto Group.
Morganite is an orange or pink variety of beryl and is also a gemstone. Morganite is mined in Brazil, Afghanistan, Mozambique, Namibia, the United States, and Madagascar.
Tsilaisite is a manganese rich variety of elbaite tourmaline. It is also known as Tsilaizite. Tsilaisite is related Fluor-tsilaisite. The gem is named after the location it was first found.