FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[GneissWare]

Here's another specimen with really poor locality information. It is clearly a specimen of Quartz, partially coated or frosted, with many fine needles of Cerrusite scattered across it, and with a larger crystal of gemmy Cerussite. It was purchased in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Specimen is approx. 12 X 7 cm.

Any help with the specific locality and when these may have come out would be greatly appreciated.

Bob

[Les Presmyk]

Cerussite is known from the area, and especially from the Flux mine, for its white, jack-straw crystals up to 6" long. However, I have never seen it associated with quartz crystals, although quartz is prevalent between Patagonia and Washington Camp to the south, some 30 miles. My first question would be if the slender crystals are actually cerussite. They look more like gypsum and if so, I would suspect this is a quartz specimen that has post-mining gypsum crystals on it.

[GneissWare]

Les,
Thanks for the reply. I hadn't seen a Cerussite on Quartz from this area either, so I was stumped. I will check the crystals under the scope and see if I can determine if they are in fact Cerussite.
Thanks again.
Bob