Rare Mineral Gallery 2
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for larger view
GAL9-8 Galena (var. Plumbeine) pseudomorph of Pyromorphite $44
Wheal Hope, Perranzabuloe, Newquay - Perranporth Area, St Agnes District,
Cornwall, England, UK
4.8 cm x 3.2 cm x 2.0 cm
Rob Lavinsky says in a MinDat.org posting, "These pseudomorphs of galena after pyromorphite were found rarely in the late 1700s or early 1800s." Another source says around 1825. I like the way the Galena (PbS) cores are visible, as in the close-up photo, which makes it one of my favorite pseudomorphs. I bought this one from Sara Giller (Crystal Vine) and kept it in my collection for many years.
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for larger view
CVX8-1
Chenevixite $48 SOLD
Chuquicamata Mine, Calama, Antofagasta Province, Chile
6 cm x 4.3 cm x 3 cm
A specimen of Chenevixite (Cu2Fe23+[(OH)2|AsO4]2) with a rich covering of earthy-looking light green material, from the world's largest open pit copper mine. See Cook, R. B. (1978), "Famous mineral localities: Chuquicamata, Chile," Mineralogical Record, 9(5), 321-333. If purchased with one of my mineral specimens, this issue of the Mineralogical Record is available for $10.
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for larger view
DEST10-1 Destinezite (TL) $32
Argenteau, Visé, Liège Province, Belgium
3.7 cm x 2.8 cm x 2.0 cm
A nodule of the rare mineral Destinezite Fe23+[OH|SO4|PO4]·6H2O from the co-type locality.
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for larger view
DEST10-2 Destinezite (TL) $25
Argenteau, Visé, Liège Province, Belgium
3.1 cm x 2.7 cm x 1.5 cm
A nodule of the rare mineral Destinezite Fe23+[OH|SO4|PO4]·6H2O from the co-type locality.
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for larger view
GER10-1 Germanite $10 RESERVED
Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Otjikoto Region, Namibia
2.4 cm x 1.5 cm x 0.4 cm
This little piece does look a lot like a Tsumeb Germanite (Cu13Fe2Ge2S16) that I used to own, but it has only a tiny patch of pinkish-red (the color of Germanite) near the left end of the left photo, hence the low price. The rest of it is some other copper sulfide, maybe Bornite (Cu5FeS4). Comes with a Kristalle label.
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for larger views
close-up image
is 2.5 x 1 mm
ASBEC9-1 Asbecasite $95 RESERVED
Mount
Cervandone, Devero Alp, Baceno, Ossola Valley,
Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy
6.3 cm x 3 cm x 3 cm; largest crystal size ~ 1 mm
This specimen hosts numerous diamond-shaped crystals of rare, yellow-tan Asbecasite (Ca3(Ti,Sn4+)Be2[(AsO3)3|SiO4]2) on a fragment of quartz from the Italian Alps. It is best appreciated if you have a loupe or a microscope, although the crystals are naked-eye visible. The name Asbecasite is a combination of some of the chemical elements in it: As+Be+Ca+Si, perhaps an example of mineralogists' humor?
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on images for larger views
image on right is 16 x 13 mm
image on left
is 3 x3 mm
image on right is 10 x 9 mm
OLIV9-1
Olivenite on Barite $32
El Guanaco Mine, Guanaco, Santa Catalina, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta
Region, Chile
6.0 cm x 3.1 cm x 3.5 cm; largest Olivenites = 1 mm
Sharp tabular crystals of olive-green Olivenite (Cu2[OH|AsO4]) are abundantly scattered over chunky Barites (BaSO4).
click on left
image for larger view
image on right is 2.4 x 2.5 mm
AESCH9-1 Aeschynite-(Y) and Hematite on Adularia $62
Lucendro pass, Lucendro Valley, Central St Gotthard Massif, Leventina, Ticino, Switzerland
7.0 cm x 6.3 cm x 3.3 cm; size of largest crystal ~ 1 mm
Amidst tiny Hematite roses on a pretty matrix of translucent white Adularia, can be seen several tabular, brown, mm-sized Aeschynite-(Y) (Y,Ca,Fe,Th)(Ti,Nb)2(O,OH)6 crystals. This piece is very beautiful under the microscope where you can see the detail in the Hematite roses. Although the Aeschynite-(Y) crystals are naked-eye visible, much more pleasure can be taken from this specimen with the use of a loupe or a microscope.
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for larger views
image on right is 5 x 5 mm
PRIX9-1 Fibrous Mimetite variety Prixite $28
Saint-Prix, Beuvray, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France
4.8 cm x 4.3 cm x 3 cm
Prixite is a bizarre, fibrous variety of Mimetite (Pb5[Cl|(AsO4)3]). As a variety rather than a true species, it does not strictly speaking have a type locality, but according to mindat.org, this is the locality from which it was first reported. It comes with a Diederik Visser label that also lists Pyromorphite, but I can only identify the yellow Mimetite on this specimen.
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on images for larger views
image on left
is 2 x 1.5 mm
image on right is 4 x 3 mm
LEM6-1 Lemanskiite (TL) $495
El Guanaco Mine, Guanaco, Santa Catalina, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile
14 cm x 11.5 cm x 4 cm; largest crystal ~ 2 mm
This is the largest piece of Lemanskiite (NaCaCu5[Cl|(AsO4)4]· 5H2O) that I have ever seen. If people would prefer smaller pieces, I can try dividing it - let me know. The bright blue is a mat of crystals (as shown in the left close-up), and the lighter blue sections offer crystals separated by matrix (as shown in the right close-up).
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for larger views
image on right is 15 x 13 mm
MAL9-11 Azurite, and Malachite pseudomorph of Azurite $26 SOLD
Remolinos mine, Cabeza de Vaca district, Copiapó Province, Atacama Region, Chile
5.3 cm x 4.0 cm x 2.5 cm
A couple of very pretty, deep blue Azurites (Cu3[OH|CO3]2) in vugs and some sharp green Malachite (Cu2[(OH)2|CO3]) replacements.
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on images for larger views
close-up image
is 7 x 3 mm
TILA9-1 Tilasite $95
Mount
Cervandone, Devero Alp, Baceno, Ossola Valley,
Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy
5.5 cm x 3 cm x 7 cm; largest crystal size ~ 7 mm
Characteristically curved Tilasite (CaMg[F|AsO4]) crystals in a couple of bundles up to 7 x 2 mm. Although Tilasite is a rare mineral, the curved shape of the crystals makes it very distinctive and easy to spot. Mount Cervandone, which can be accessed both in Italy and in Switzerland, is a classic locality for this species; in fact, the Swiss side of the mountain has the type locality.
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for larger views
image on right is 4 x 2.6 mm
PENF10-1 Penfieldite and Boleite $18
Margarita
Mine, Caracoles, Sierra Gorda District, Tocopilla Province, Antofagasta
Region, Chile
2.2 cm x 1.5 cm x 0.7 cm; largest Penfieldites ~ 2 mm
Colorless, tapered and striated Penfieldite (Pb2[OH|Cl3]) crystals encrusted with micro blue Boleites (KPb26Ag9Cu24(OH)48Cl62).
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for larger view
CANC10-1 Cancrinite, Annite and "Hydronephelite (TL)" $38
Litchfield, Kennebec Co., Maine
4.2 cm x 3.4 cm x 1.8 cm
This specimen is undoubtedly from the Dennis Hill locality (also known as the Litchfield sodalite locality) with the classic form of bright yellow-orange Cancrinite (Na6Ca2[(CO3)2|Al6Si6O24]· 2H2O) in white matrix with black micaceous Annite : KFe32+[(OH)2|AlSi3O10]. The white matrix is sometimes called "white Sodalite", "Litchfieldite", or even "Hydronephelite" for which Dennis Hill was the type locality until Hydronephelite was discovered to be a mixture of Natrolite (~80%) with small amounts of Gibbsite and Diaspore. An American classic.
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for larger view
GEDR10-1 Gedrite, Corundum and Biotite $35 SOLD
Bøylefossbru, Froland, Aust-Agder, Norway
5.2 cm x 3.0 cm x 2.4 cm
A specimen of the amphibole Gedrite [Mg2][Mg3Al2][(OH)2|Al2Si6O22] in fibrous brown and gray sprays, surrounding two spots of Corundum variety Ruby (Al2O3) and hosting micaceous flecks of dark Biotite-Phlogopite : KMg3AlSi3O10(OH,F)2. The Ruby fluoresces strong dark red under LWUV. This specimen was collected by Diederik Visser and comes with his label.
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for larger view
MB10-1 Montebrasite $9 SOLD, but I have others
Fazenda
Pomaroli, Linópolis, Divino das Laranjeiras, Doce valley, Minas
Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil
1.2 cm x 0.6 cm x 0.3 cm
A twinned crystal of Montebrasite : LiAl[(OH,F)|PO4] . The twinning is apparent at the tip to the left, and resembles the way Sphene twins, as if two thin crystals were glued back-to-back.
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for larger view
FKH10-2 Fluoro-potassichastingsite (TL) $26
Greenwood Mine, Woodbury Township, Orange Co., New York
4.4 cm x 2.9 cm x 2.3 cm
Anticipating the serious demand for this irresistible black rock, I made sure that I had two Fluoro-potassichastingsites on hand. Indeed, one has sold, so now this is the last!
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for larger views
FOV
= 4 x 4 mm
STRNG10-1 Strengite $95
Torre de Moncorvo, Bragança District, Portugal
10.5 cm x 5.5 cm x 2.2 cm
Glassy balls of peach-purple Strengite FePO4·2H2O crystals with a little bit of light green Wavellite (Al3[(OH,F)3|(PO4)2] · 5H2O) on a matrix rich in Magnetite (Fe2+Fe3+2O4).
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for larger views - image above is 5 x 4 mm
click on images
for larger views - image above is 10 x 6 mm
TUPER10-1 Tuperssuatsiaite $45
Aris Quarry, Windhoek,
Khomas Region, Namibia
5.5 cm x 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm; largest crystals ~ 1 mm
This specimen of Tuperssuatsiaite (Na2Fe3Si8O20(OH)2· 4H2O) has 4 groups of copper-colored, fibrous crystals which are in shallow vugs or on the surface.
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on image for larger view
NaS10-1 Natrosilite $45
Lovozero
Massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia
8.3 cm x 3.0 cm x 0.1 cm
The type locality of Natrosilite (Na2Si2O5) is in the Lovozero Massif, although I don't know for sure if this piece came exactly from the type locality. It consists of a few thin but tough sheets, most likely cleavage sheets.
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for larger views
YOF9-2 Yofortierite $38
Saint-Amable
sill, Varennes & St-Amable, Lajemmerais RCM, Montérégie,
Québec, Canada
2.5 cm x 2.0 cm x 1.7 cm
This piece has a 1.3-cm patch of fibrous, brownish-tan Yofortierite Mn5Si8O20(OH)2·8-9H2O visible at the top of the specimen in the left-hand photo. The right-hand photo shows a close-up of the fibrous mineral.
click on images for larger views
- white-pink
Zorite , FOV 6 x 5 mm
click on images for larger views
- golden
Raite needles, FOV 3 x 3 mm
ZOR10-1 Raite (TL) on Zorite (TL) and Aegerine $48
Yubileinaya
Pegmatite, Mt. Karnasurt, Lovozero Massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia
4.0 cm x 3.5 cm x 3.0 cm
This
specimen has Zorite (Na2Ti(Si,Al)3O9·nH2O,
white and pink needles), Aegerine (NaFe3+Si2O6,
fibrous green), and a small amount of Raite (Na4Mn32+Ti0.25Si8O20(OH)2·10H2O,
golden needles). The Raite is visible as golden patches near center
bottom of the lower left photo, and is magnified in the lower right
photo. The Yubileinaya Pegmatite is the type locality for both
Zorite and Raite. Interestingly, Raite was named in honor of the Ra
II, the reed boat that successfully crossed the Atlantic from Morocco
to Barbados in order to prove that ancient mariners could have done
the same crossing.
click on images
for larger view - image on right is 7 x 7mm
BOTRY9-1 Botryogen, Pickeringite & Copiapite $58
Libiola
Mine, Sestri Levante, Genova Province, Liguria, Italy
2 cm x 3 cm x 2 cm; largest crystal size ~ 1.5 mm
click on image
for larger view
BOUR9-1 Bournonite $75
Pulacayo
Mine, Huanchaca, Quijarro Province,
Potosí Department, Bolivia
3.1 cm x 2.8 cm x 0.8 cm
Bournonite, PbCuSbS3 is a relatively rare copper sulfosalt, best known for forming distinctive "cogwheels" as evidenced in the two photos above. The cogwheels are due to contact twinning or polysynthetic twinning. This specimen has some very fine cogwheels.
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