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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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Posted: Dec 26, 2014 12:49 Post subject: Re: Bob's rocks |
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Thanks.
Tobi, the Xianghualing piece is even more transparent in person, as are all these fluorites. That is a hard thing for me to capture in photos. But, I keep trying!
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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Posted: Dec 29, 2014 11:59 Post subject: Bob's rocks - Baryte from Xikuangshan |
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Just finished cleaning this piece - acquired it in Tucson in February.
I am posting the completed specimen, and will show a few intermediate cleaning steps, for those interested. The specimen was in great condition when purchased, but had lots of distracting iron stains. It was washed in water, then soaked in Super Iron Out, then soaked in water. Lastly, I had a friend soak it in diluted and silicified HF for a few hours to remove a whitish Quartz film from the Baryte.
These photos also illustrate the difference in color using different light sources. With daylight balanced (6500K) lights, the Barytes have a slight yellowish color as seen in the first photo. All the intermediate photos were taken with a cheap handheld camera using flash and automatic white balance.
Mineral: | Barite |
Locality: | Xikuangshan Sb deposit, Lengshuijiang, Loudi Prefecture, Hunan Province, China | |
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Dimensions: | 117 x 110 x 78 mm |
Description: |
Lustrous, translucent, blocky crystals of greyish Baryte with a yellowish tinge, to 56 x 41 x 19 mm, are perched on a plate of lustrous, clear Quartz points with minor iron staining. This is a fine Baryte with no damage. |
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Mineral: | Barite |
Locality: | Xikuangshan Sb deposit, Lengshuijiang, Loudi Prefecture, Hunan Province, China | |
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Dimensions: | 117 x 110 x 78 mm |
Description: |
Just water washed -- before any chemical cleaning. |
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Mineral: | Barite |
Locality: | Xikuangshan Sb deposit, Lengshuijiang, Loudi Prefecture, Hunan Province, China | |
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Dimensions: | 117 x 110 x 78 mm |
Description: |
Just taken out of rinse water following 24 hours in Super Iron-Out (Sodium metabisulfite). After this step, there was a whitish Quartz film on the sides of the Baryte removed by a diluted solution of HF (don't try at home!), to yield the final specimen. |
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1471
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Dec 29, 2014 13:49 Post subject: Re: Bob's rocks - Baryte from Xikuangshan |
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GneissWare wrote: | Just finished cleaning this piece - acquired it in Tucson in February. |
Good job, Bob! And a fine specimen too.
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Don Lum
Joined: 03 Sep 2012
Posts: 2856
Location: Arkansas
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Posted: Dec 29, 2014 14:35 Post subject: Re: Bob's rocks |
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Beautiful specimen, Bob. Thanks for taking us through the cleaning process and comments on your photography.
Don
_________________ hogwild |
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Tobi
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 4108
Location: Germany
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Posted: Dec 29, 2014 15:23 Post subject: Re: Bob's rocks |
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Great specimen ✓
Great job of cleaning ✓
Great photo (the first one) ✓
_____________
= Simply great, Bob ;-)
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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Posted: Dec 29, 2014 16:30 Post subject: Re: Bob's rocks |
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Thanks all.
I have a few other project rocks I will post when I get them done, along with a similar explanation of cleaning techniques.
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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Posted: Jan 03, 2015 11:55 Post subject: Bob's rocks - Fluorapatite from Broken Hill |
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Presented here is an nice DT apatite from Australia. It was embedded in the matrix originally, and was air scribed to better reveal the crystal.
Mineral: | Fluorapatite on Calcite |
Locality: | Broken Hill, Yancowinna County, New South Wales, Australia | |
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Dimensions: | 83 x 65 x 53 mm |
Description: |
A 69 x 11 x 9 mm Fluorapatite crystal is set in matrix on this very fine and aesthetic specimen from Broken Hill. The pristine, doubly-terminated, greyish-green hexagonal crystal is opaque and has fine waxy luster. Specimens of this quality are very uncommon from Broken Hill. |
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Mineral: | Fluorapatite on Calcite |
Locality: | Broken Hill, Yancowinna County, New South Wales, Australia | |
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Dimensions: | 83 x 65 x 53 mm |
Description: |
Before cleaning and trimming |
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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Posted: Jan 04, 2015 03:04 Post subject: Bob's rocks - Mushistonite on Kesterite on Cassiterite from Xuebaoding |
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A bit of an oddity, I think...
Mineral: | Mushistonite on Kesterite on Cassiterite |
Locality: | Mount Xuebaoding, Pingwu, Mianyang Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China | |
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Dimensions: | 73 x 50 x 40 mm |
Description: |
A lustrous, black crystal of Cassiterite, measuring 35 x 35 mm, is mostly overgrown with blocky crystals of Kesterite to 9 mm long, completely coated with apple-green Mushistonite. Some of the Mushistonite was removed to reveal the Cassiterite, and small patches of fibrous, green Malachite(?) also accent the crystal. The Cassiterite is perched on a bed of silvery Muscovite blades. This is one of the most unique associations I have seen from the famous Xuebaoding deposit, and is is excellent condition. |
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1471
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Jan 04, 2015 04:57 Post subject: Re: Bob's rocks - Mushistonite on Kesterite on Cassiterite from Xuebaoding |
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GneissWare wrote: | A bit of an oddity, I think... |
Must be a really unusual combination. I had never seen it before. An excellent specimen, Bob. But it should be labeled as mushistonite on kesterite on cassiterite on muscovite on a granitic rock :-)
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Don Lum
Joined: 03 Sep 2012
Posts: 2856
Location: Arkansas
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Posted: Jan 04, 2015 12:06 Post subject: Re: Bob's rocks |
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Great specimen, Bob. What a combination.
_________________ hogwild |
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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Posted: Jan 04, 2015 13:57 Post subject: Bob's rocks - new Chinese pieces |
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Been trying to catch up on photographing... Here are a few pieces recently picked up.
Mineral: | Fluorite on Quartz |
Locality: | Huanggang Mines, Hexigten Banner (Kèshíkèténg Qí), Chifeng (Ulanhad), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China | |
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Dimensions: | 83 x 58 x 50 mm |
Description: |
A sharp undamaged opaque-white Quartz crystal measuring 76 x 30 mm, partly covered by a second generation of white Quartz crystals to 4 mm, is encrusted with many vivid, deep neon-blue Fluorite crystals, with shades that vary between indigo and navy blue. Most of the smaller Fluorite crystals are gemmy and octahedral. The larger Fluorites, up to 17 x 15 mm in size, are largely opaque, and are unusually strongly rounded, which is not a common shape for Fluorite. This shape is due to the both cube and dodecahedral faces. These specimens first appeared at the Ste. Marie show in 2014, and were presumably found in May 2014. Completely different from other, previous finds at the prolific Huanggang district, these are truly striking specimens. This is an excellent example, in perfect condition. |
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Mineral: | Fluorite on Quartz |
Locality: | Huanggang Mines, Hexigten Banner (Kèshíkèténg Qí), Chifeng (Ulanhad), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China | |
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Dimensions: | 83 x 58 x 50 mm |
Description: |
A sharp undamaged opaque-white Quartz crystal measuring 76 x 30 mm, partly covered by a second generation of white Quartz crystals to 4 mm, is encrusted with many vivid, deep neon-blue Fluorite crystals, with shades that vary between indigo and navy blue. Most of the smaller Fluorite crystals are gemmy and octahedral. The larger Fluorites, up to 17 x 15 mm in size, are largely opaque, and are unusually strongly rounded, which is not a common shape for Fluorite. This shape is due to the both cube and dodecahedral faces. These specimens first appeared at the Ste. Marie show in 2014, and were presumably found in May 2014. Completely different from other, previous finds at the prolific Huanggang district, these are truly striking specimens. This is an excellent example, in perfect condition. |
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Mineral: | Genthelvite on Magnetite |
Locality: | Huanggang Mines, Hexigten Banner (Kèshíkèténg Qí), Chifeng (Ulanhad), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China | |
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Dimensions: | 108 x 97 x 30 mm |
Description: |
Clusters of very sharp, tetrahedral crystals of lustrous brown Genthelvite to 7 mm are perched on a matrix of shiny, dodecahedral Magnetite crystals to 19 mm, with finely striated surface textures. This would be an excellent Magnetite specimen, but the sharp Genthelvites raise it up a notch. In perfect condition. |
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Mineral: | Genthelvite on Magnetite |
Locality: | Huanggang Mines, Hexigten Banner (Kèshíkèténg Qí), Chifeng (Ulanhad), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China | |
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Dimensions: | 108 x 97 x 30 mm |
Description: |
Clusters of very sharp, tetrahedral crystals of lustrous brown Genthelvite to 7 mm are perched on a matrix of shiny, dodecahedral Magnetite crystals to 19 mm, with finely striated surface textures. This would be an excellent Magnetite specimen, but the sharp Genthelvites raise it up a notch. In perfect condition. |
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Mineral: | Cuprite on Copper |
Locality: | Chengmenshan Mine, Jiujiang Co., Jiujiang Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, China | |
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Dimensions: | 95 x 77 x 49 mm |
Description: |
A fine and attractive, arborescent specimen of Copper, with crystals to 5 mm, accented by Cuprite crystals to 7 mm, all perched on matrix. Collected prior to 2004, this was formerly a Zhang Min specimen. |
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
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Posted: Jan 04, 2015 14:59 Post subject: Re: Bob's rocks |
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Hi Bob. I like the Chinese fluorite. Regards
_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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Posted: Jan 04, 2015 16:03 Post subject: Bob's rocks - Dioptase from Kaokoveld, Namibia |
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Another one, this time closer to home Pierre...Very hard to photograph due to the contrast.
Mineral: | Dioptase on Shattuckite |
Locality: | Kaokoveld Plateau, Kunene Region, Namibia | |
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Dimensions: | 64 x 55 x 44 mm |
Description: |
A captivating cluster of sharp, gemmy, deep-green Dioptase crystals, to 20 mm long, all set on a beautifully contrasting matrix of powder-blue balls of Shattuckite to 3 mm. The sharp, elongated Dioptase crystals have superb luster and richly cover the Shattuckite. This is a very aesthetic specimen with no damage. |
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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Posted: Jan 04, 2015 18:31 Post subject: Re: Bob's rocks |
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Bob, I really like the last two Huanggang specimens, that very blue fluorite on the white quartz is very cool.
_________________ Rock basher |
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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Posted: Mar 06, 2015 21:37 Post subject: Bob's rocks - Wulfenites |
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A nice older Los Lamentos and a Red Cloud...
Mineral: | Wulfenite |
Locality: | Erupción Mine (Ahumada Mine), Los Lamentos Mountain Range, Municipio Ahumada, Chihuahua, Mexico | |
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Dimensions: | 69 x 54 x 33 mm |
Description: |
Several deep-reddish-orange, flattened and blocky Wulfenite crystals to 17 x 13 mm, are aesthetically perched on the margin of a contrasting matrix of Descloizite, from the famous Los Lamentos Mine. Each of these crystals has superb luster, an almost watery undulation to the surface, classic 'sandwich' habit (darker terminations), and great, eye-catching color. They are SUPERB quality. This first-class specimen is in perfect condition, and is from the A.G. Boynton collection. Boynton was a mining engineer circa 1910-1920, and City Manager of Boulder City, Nevada in the mid-1940s. He assembled a nice collection of rare specimens from the localities of the 1910s to the 1940s.. |
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Mineral: | Wulfenite |
Locality: | Red Cloud Mine, Trigo Mountains, Silver District, La Paz County, Arizona, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 49 x 24 x 20 mm |
Description: |
A large complex crystal of fiery red-orange Wulfenite, measuring 23 x 20 x 6 mm, is perched on a shard of Baryte covered with many smaller Wulfenite blades and a druse of sparkly dark-red Vanadinites. One very tiny, hard to see, chip is present on the corner of the Wulfenite. This is a top grade piece from the Wayne Thompson mining venture, collected in 1996. |
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Mineral: | Wulfenite |
Locality: | Red Cloud Mine, Trigo Mountains, Silver District, La Paz County, Arizona, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 49 x 24 x 20 mm |
Description: |
A large complex crystal of fiery red-orange Wulfenite, measuring 23 x 20 x 6 mm, is perched on a shard of Baryte covered with many smaller Wulfenite blades and a druse of sparkly dark-red Vanadinites. One very tiny, hard to see, chip is present on the corner of the Wulfenite. This is a top grade piece from the Wayne Thompson mining venture, collected in 1996. |
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Don Lum
Joined: 03 Sep 2012
Posts: 2856
Location: Arkansas
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Posted: Mar 06, 2015 22:45 Post subject: Re: Bob's rocks |
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Bob, those last two Wulfenite specimens are fantastic.
_________________ hogwild |
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am mizunaka
Joined: 09 Apr 2010
Posts: 2040
Location: USA
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Posted: Mar 07, 2015 00:48 Post subject: Re: Bob's rocks |
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Very nice Los Lamentos specimen. Very interesting aesthetic with the wulfenites nestled on the periphery of the piece.
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1471
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Mar 07, 2015 06:40 Post subject: Re: Bob's rocks |
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Outstanding wulfenite from Los Lamentos. And excellent photography as usual!
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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Posted: Mar 07, 2015 10:40 Post subject: Bob's rocks |
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Thanks. Here is what the Los Lamentos looked like before trimming of the damage.
Mineral: | Wulfenite |
Locality: | Erupción Mine (Ahumada Mine), Los Lamentos Mountain Range, Municipio Ahumada, Chihuahua, Mexico | |
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Dimensions: | 69 x 54 x 33 mm |
Description: |
Before trimming, and with tungsten lights |
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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Posted: Mar 14, 2015 10:11 Post subject: Bob's rocks - Malachite pseudo from Mexico |
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I have owned this piece for over 20 years, hiding away in a box. It had been marked as coming from an Arizona locality, but last night I had the opportunity to show it to an Arizona and Mexico expert, Les Presmyk, and after discussion and research concluded he is absolutely correct -- this is a old Mexican specimen. Nice to finally place it, as I was somewhat suspicious of the Arizona attribution.
Mineral: | Malachite on Quartz |
Locality: | Concepción del Oro, Municipio Concepción del Oro, Zacatecas, Mexico | |
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Dimensions: | 56 x 56 x 50 mm |
Description: |
Earthy-green fibrous Malachite pseudomorphs after Chalcopyrite to 19 mm are nestled within a bed of iron-stained Quartz crystals to 20 mm. |
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