FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Tobi]

I agree with Carles: Great one! I know that Carles likes and collects ferberite, so no wonder he appreciates that specimen. I'm actually not into that mineral species - but that large and outstanding specimen thrills even me :)

Tobi

[GneissWare]

Carles and Tobi, Glad you like. --Bob

[GneissWare]

brownish Genthelvite to 29 x 23 x 21 mm
green Quartz to 36 x 8 mm one of which is capped by a clear scepter
purple octahedrons of Fluorite to 18 mm

[GneissWare]

Pale greyish-blue, opaque, chisel-shaped crystals of Celestine to 26 x 4.5 mm in size, are perched on a matrix heavily covered with sugary crystals of whitish Powellite. The Powellite has bright yellow fluorescence under UV. This is an old specimen from an unknown locality near Randsburg, in great condition.

[rweaver]

[GneissWare]

Bob,

This comes out of an old collection, circa 1920-1950s. The old, handwritten label says "Celestite on Powellite, Randsburg, Calif."

Everything else in the collection is labeled correct, so I am cataloging it as such. However, I also don't know of any deposits of Celestite near Randsburg. I think there is a CDMG Bulletin for Celestite. Still need to check more literature. I was actually hoping you would say "Yes, I know exactly where that's from." Never that easy. ;)

Bob

[rweaver]

Bob

I just did a quick look through County Report 1 (Kern County) and did not see any mention of Celestine from Kern County. It would be interesting to get a closer location and I could take a short drive and see what I could find. Laws Railroad museum (in Bishop) also has a mineral collection from the area and I cannot remember anything like this in it. Sad part is they have a pretty good collection but it is not well taken care of.

Bob

[GneissWare]

The absence of reports for Powellite is also interesting, given the number of tungsten deposits near Randsburg. It could be this is from a really small, old find. I'm also going to post on Minfind and see if Chet knows.

[rweaver]

Given the history of this area it would not surprise me. There are more old shafts and holes in the wall diggings that anything would be possible. The BLM tries to keep up with closing off the shafts to keep people from riding and/or falling into them. Also, I checked the Minerals of California bulletin 189 and it also showed nothing for Kern Co. However it does shows the Calico area to have had Celestite that match at least in size to what you have.

Bob

[GneissWare]

The Calico Celestites look similar but are associated with borates. I am not aware of any tungsten in that area.

This kind of specimen reminds me of the Nb-rutiles that came out a few decades ago and that made it to market a few years ago via Rob L. ( see https://www.mindat.org/loc-79098.html ). It was one isolated find, nobody has an idea where exactly they are from, but the person who dug them has evidently stated they are from southern Inyo County. Mindat is now showing some indication they are from near Darwin, but last time I asked Rob, he had no idea where they were found. Maybe someone figured it out, but they were never described in the bulletins, etal. Same story for the new California Dioptase found somewhere near Blythe...not in the literature.

[GneissWare]

large Arizona copper

[GneissWare]

A nice specimen from a relatively obscure mine, this Copper has a range of textures from hackly to hollow crystals to twisted blocky crystals, accented with white Quartz. In perfect condition.

[rweaver]

Given MINDAT location for the Rutile in miles that would put the location in the Coso range of mountains. It would also most likely place the location of the find on the northern edge of the China Lake ranges. This would force the issue of not saying where they where found.

[Susan Robinson]

Actually, the Laurium mine is not that obscure at all, and it is actively and easily collected from, since it is only about 200 ft. from Highway 41, and very near Calumet, MI. The mine was also known for kinoite, which is still difficult to find on the mine's dump piles. If you need directions to where the Laurium mine is located, just send me a private message.

[GneissWare]

Obscure, only in the sense that it is harder to find specimens than several other well-known Michigan mines, particularly native coppers.

[GneissWare]

Several large wine-colored Spessartine garnets to 30 x 18 mm are intergrown with clear Quartz crystals to 25 x 18 mm, and are perched on blades of white transparent to translucent Albite (v. Cleavlandite). Small dark tourmalines accent the Albite. No damage. Really hard to photograph.

[Don Lum]

Beautiful specimen, Bob. Would be hard for me but does not appear hard for you to photograph.

Don

[GneissWare]

Aquamarine measuring 29 x 13 x 13 mm with purple Fluorite to 6 x 5 mm perched on Albite to 50 x 21 x 15 mm.

[GneissWare]

[Pierre Joubert]

Hi Bob, I really like the aqua combination from Erongo! IMG_6865.jpg