FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Gordian]

It would be impossible for me to compare my collection to the many how have posted here - we all have different interests and means.

This sample is a nice gathering of Zeolites, green Apophyllite crystals on Huelandite, with a couple (actually if you look closely 3) sprays of Mordenite.

4.9x5.2x4.6cm

Maharastra, India

[Carles Millan]

[Gordian]

Well, I am certainly not bashful about posting my collection - I have been looking at the other posted collections and I am enjoying the eclectic nature of the collectors and their interests, especially a collection like your Mr. Milan. Just like other types of collections - my other passion, though in hiatus now, is Roman Provincial coinage - everyone has different interests and passions - makes it fun to be a part of this pastime!

c.rhodes

[Gordian]

An example of Annabergite from Laurium Greece,a nice example showing tiny spherical sprays of green crystals - the region shown is around a cm square - the crystals are ~1mm in a small crevice. Km-3 Mine, Lavrian Mines, Attiki Prefecture Greece.

[Tobi]

[Antonio Alcaide]

Tobias and Carles are absolutely right. As an example I would encourage you, Gordian, to read the following thread about the outstanding figure of mineralogy, John S. White, member of this message board as well:

https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=5606#5606

Reading it I lost my complex about the level of my collection. He has posted part of his collection here. You can easily find it. Small, curious pieces, not necessarily very expensive. Of course everybody likes museum quality specimens, but we can enjoy many other pieces a lot.

Regards

[Gordian]

Please don't misunderstand, I am quite proud of my collection - it reflects my scientific curiosity of nature - but I am human and the specimens exhibited by some of the members here do dazzle the eye - yet, I enjoy looking at all of the collections posted - it's that curiosity.

I love "hairy" minerals: Aurichalcite, 79 Mine, Arizona. Specimen 3.5x3.5x2. cm

[Gordian]

Orange Heulandite in a geode. MH Poona, India.

6x4x4 cm.

[Gordian]

I nice specimen of purple/blue Fluorite on Quartz, from my state, Blanchard Mine, Portales Tunnel, Bingham, Socorro County New Mexico. 6 x 4 x4 cm. Largest crystal 1.3x1 cm.

Charley

[Gordian]

Eosphorite, with Zanazziite crystal balls, on Wardite all on a layer of Quartz; Lavra da Ilha Pegmatite, near Taquaral, Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Longest Eosphorite crystals ~7-8 mm. The Wardite pyramids are ~1-2 mm and the Zanazziite balls ~1 mm. 3.3x3x2cm overall.

Charley

[Gordian]

Tourmaline crystals with Quartz and some stilbite. Longest crystal is 3cm. Nice terminations.Afghanistan.


3x2.5x1.5cm

[Gordian]

I love Calcite for some reason - and to follow some of the threads elsewhere so do others, here is a Twinned calcite speciment. 3x3x3cm in size. Conception del Oro, Zacatecas Mexico. My photos don't do it justice!

Charley

[Gordian]

This thumbnail specimen if from a location near Melrose, in Iowa. Tiny Goethite crystals on a bed of Calcite, with a Quartz crystal as a back drop. The specimen is 3.5x2.5x2. cm in size. The longest crystal of Goethite is 6mm and the tiny spray is ~3x2mm. There are other crystals scattered about in the matrix.

Charley(c.rhodes)

[Gordian]

Chalcotrichite form of Cuprite. A nice "hairy" mineral! 6.5x3x3 cm specimen, Bagdad, Yavapai Co. Arizona.

Charley

[Gordian]

Wulfenite is another favorite mineral of mine - and living in the US Southwest it is a common mineral to find as there are so many lead and Moly mines around. The following specimen is from the Rowley Mine in Maricopa Co. Arizona. There several yellow-orange blades of Wulfenite on a Baryte matrix. Over the blades a fine layer of drusy Quartz. The largest Wulfenite crystals are ~7mm across. One the backside of the specimen are a few scattered smaller crystals and what appears to be tiny yellowish balls of Mimetite.

3.7x1.3x2.8 cm, 21 grams.

The second specimen is also from the Rowley mine and shows a few scattered orange crystals on a matrix of Baryte with orange-yellow tufts of Mimetite. There is a druse of Quartz on the Baryte and clusters of Quartz crystals to be seen.

6.0x2.8x3.3 cm; 75 grams.

Charley

[Gordian]

Here is another nice specimen of Wulfenite from teh North Geronimo Mine, La Paz, Co., Arizona. A nice blade of red-orange Wulfenite on colorless Calcite, ~7mm across, with two slight dings (too bad, but I still like it a lot). A second crystal can be seen further into the Calcite lined crevice.

3.7x2.6x2.1 cm; 17 grams.

Charley

[Gordian]

We'll take a short break from the Wulfenite as I struggle to get a good photo of another specimen, to share a small (thumbnail) specimen of Vanadinite from the Old Yuma Mine, Pima Co., Arizona.

This specimen is ~1.2x0.9x1.4 cm in size and weighs 2 gr. The upper crystals are nicely formed hexagonal barrels with terminations, to 5 mm. Below are tiny red sub-millimeter crystals. There is just a bit of matrix holding it all together!

Charley

[John S. White]

With respect to your specimen of black tourmaline with quartz and "stilbite", I have to question the identity of the stilbite. In the photo the platy white mineral appears to be albite, but the detail is not sharp enough to be certain. I have to assume that you know what stilbite looks like, so you may very well be correct, but albite is common in this association and I do not recall ever seeing stilbite with the tourmaline from here.

[Gordian]

Actually, I am not always sure what Stilbite looks like in all cases - I know it most of the time when associated with Cavansite - but not always. This is exactly the reason why I am on this list and am posting some of my specimens - to learn. I think that you are correct, it is Albite and not Stilbite. The structure (platy) is more inline with Albite and not Stilbite. I did not do my homework on this specimen.

Thank you for the your comment. I will also work on my photograph of the specimen. I enjoy photographing and this one is a nice challenge.

Charley
PS - is it more proper to refer to the mineral as Schorl - Tourmaline being more properly the mineral group?

[Gordian]

There is nothing particularly special about this piece of Rhodochrosite from China, except that for the beautiful pink color that caught my eye. I never found any of the pyrite that the seller indicated was there, but upon closer inspection I did find, what I think is a tiny faceted crystal of clear Fluorite hidden in a crevice on the backside of the specimen.

Rhodochrosite: a pink specimen of Rhodochorsite, showing crystal faces, a very tiny 2x1mm faceted crystal of clear Fluorite hiding in a crevice in the larger (25x20x20mm) Rhodochrosite crystal. Hezhou Mine,Guangxi Province, China.

Charley