FMF - Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Gordian]

I may be a bit premature posting this now, as I need to take another photo of another part of the specimen, but I will get things kicked off and then come back tomorrow with a new photo. This specimen caught my eye, because of the association of Dioptase with Wulfenite and because it is from a Southwestern US Mine:

Clusters of tiny green Dioptase crystals in an interesting matrix of some botryoidal mineral; scattered about are orange Wulfenite crystals. Dioptase clusters 5-8 mm, crystals ~1mm; Wulfenite crystals 1-2 mm. Specimen is 6.5x4.2x3.0cm. Mammoth-St. Anthony Mine, Tiger, Pina County Arizona.

Unfortunately several of the Wulfenite crystals are damaged, but enough survive to give the specimen an appeal. The interesting thing is that the gray botryoidal mineral covered the Wulfenite - can see several Wulfenite crystals covered by the mineral and the Dioptase came along later. In another part of the specimen the material is green-blue(blue-green) and I thought Chryscolla. Now mindat.org indicates that Shattuckite is another mineral found at this mine, but I have not seen a gray variety. It might be Calcite. I am still plowing through the list looking at the other possibilities.

Charley

[Jordi Fabre]

[Gordian]

Thanks Jordi. I like how it coats the Wulfenite crystals.

c.rhodes