FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Samuel]

This is another Bolivian piece and a very interesting one – Cassiterite, Variety: Wood tin. It hails from Llallagua, Rafael Bustillo Province, Potosí Department, Bolivia. It is about 3 x 3 x 2 cm, and I do wish I could get a larger specimen. It has a beautiful botryoidal surface, and together with the banded structure looks absolutely beautiful. A fine Bolivian beauty!

[Samuel]

This malachite is very beautiful and it hails from the Shilu Mine, Yangchun County, Yangjiang, Prefecture, Guangdong Province, China. It is about 10 x 10 x 4 cm. It has the most captivating chatoyant luster and it is composed of four large botryoids on which there are smaller botryoids of malachite. It is a stunning piece in my opinion.

[Samuel]

This is another Bulgarian Galena, and galena is one of my favourite sulphides. This piece hails from the Krushev dol Mine, Madan Ore Field, Sth Rhodope Mts., Smolyan Oblast, Bulgaria. It is 12 x 8 x 6 cm. The Galena crystals have a lovely melted appearance, and as can be seen from the photos they have rounded edges. They are highly modified. Some of the crystals have lovely surface features. I just love Bulgarian Galena and in my opinion the best of the species come from this locality.

[Samuel]

This is another of my “Kidney Ores.” I took a quick “Kodak Moment” before the sunlight got too low, and decided to present it as a “vignette.” I have been having a lot of fun with my new camera but I really think I need to make a professional light box. It will be another electronics project for the Australian Autumn. The specimen featured below is Hematite, variety Kidney Ore from the Beckermet Mine, Egremont, West Cumberland Iron Field, North Western Region (Cumberland), Cumbria, England, United Kingdom. It is 10 x 8 x 6 cm. Ever since I was a young lad I always wanted a good Kidney Ore. My mother came from the midlands in the UK, and always told me about the minerals from Cumberland that she saw in the Museums in England. My first mineral book was “Rutley’s Elements of Mineralogy” and I would always go to the pages on Iron Minerals and look at the drawing of Kidney Ore – gazing upon it for hours. I am now happy to say I have three Kidney Ores from the Iron Mines of Cumbria. My next favourite place for Hematite is Elba, and I will be posting a few pictures soon.

[Samuel]

As stated earlier I have two collections. One is a reference collection made up of Australian Ore specimens and the other the “eye-candy” collection of minerals from China, Bulgaria, Bolivia, Peru, UK, Africa, Argentina, Italy, Kosovo and America. Featured below is another of my Ore samples. It is a large mass of Native Copper with abundant, but massive Cuprite. It hails from the Red Dome Mine, Chillagoe, Herberton District, Queensland, Australia. It is 10 x 8 x 6 cm. It is a nice Ore specimen in that it is just a big “blob” of native copper and quite heavy.

[Samuel]

This is another Cinnabar I have from China. I have about three specimens and a few individual crystals. I have already posted the largest. This was a gift my Chinese friends gave me, and I was very touched by it. They showed me five specimens of Cinnabar and told me to choose the one I liked the most. I enjoy doing business with them – they are very efficient, honest, trustworthy, extremely polite and well mannered and most helpful - the quintessential ingredients of a civilized people. The Cinnabar hails from Wanshan Mine, Wanshan District, Tongren Prefecture, Guizhou Province, China. It is 8 x 6 x 4 cm and the Cinnabar is about 1.5cm long. I surmise the matrix is a mix of Quartz and Dolomite. I have seen similar pieces selling in the West for $250USD+ and can never understand why that is so – smiling!!!

[Samuel]

Below is a book I can highly recommend. It covers Cornish Beam Engines in South Australian Mines. Minerals, Electronics, Chemistry and Photography are not my only interests, and I have a keen interest in Mining Archaeology. The technology of the late 19th century fascinates me, and there was a time when these steam driven Beam Engines were the most powerful engines created by man or woman. All that remains in South Australia is the structures that housed the engines. Regrettably and sadly the engines exist no more!

[Samuel]

Featured below is one of my Arsenopyrites from China, and it is another piece Jack (Crowley) supplied. It took a few shots of it today. It is an unusual crystallized specimen showing a complex stepped pattern of growth, and it has the most brilliant metallic luster. The macro shot to the left shows just how the stepped pattern has developed. It looks like the teeth of a large and complex cog-wheel. It hails from the Yaogangxian Mine, Yizhang County, Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province, China. It is 8 x 5 x 4 cm.

[Samuel]

Below is a book I can highly recommend to anyone that has an interest in Peruvian Minerals. Jack Crowley along with Rock Currier and Terry Szenics wrote the book. It has some amazing pictures of the Minerals of Peru, and even the gangue ones are breathtaking. Jack gave me this copy and autographed it for me. I was deeply touched by the gesture.

[Samuel]

This is another Pyrite specimen from China. It consists of individual and interlocking cubes of Pyrite on a quartz matrix. The Pyrite crystals are in excellent condition and the only “brusing” is around the edges where it was removed from the pocket. The largest Pyrite is about 3 cm on edge. It hails from the Shangbao Pyrite Mine, Leiyang County, Hengyang Prefecture, Hunan Province, China. It is 12 x 10 x 6 cm.

[Samuel]

I was looking through my boxes and came across another Calcite cluster on Calcite, Variety Dog Tooth Spar. It is not as big as the previous one. The largest crystal is only about 3cm, but many of them are twinned I think and many of the calcites are very gemmy and very sharp. It hails from Fengjiashan Mine, Edong Mining District, Daye County, Huangshi Prefecture, Hubei Province, China. It is 9 x 5 x 4 cm,

[Samuel]

Below is a book I have in my technical library and one I can highly recommend; “Ionic Compounds” by Claude H. Yoder. And no you do not need a degree in science to appreciate it. It is well written and will explain most questions you have about minerals such as chemical and physical properties. The diagrams are superb as are the colour plates – a great read.

[Samuel]

Occasionally my Chinese friends have a few delights that just too irresistible, and so I must have them. I have a few fluorite spheres, fluorite octahedrons (cleavage pieces) and Quartz crystals. Featured below is a polished Quartz Crystal, and I reckon the “gangue” minerals look fantastic when they are cut and polished. According to my Chinese friends it hails from Jinkouhe, Ebian County, Leshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. It is about 10 x 2 x 2 cm.

[Samuel]

In keeping with my fascination for ancient technology I would like to present the PRM200, which was built in Australia back in the 1950’s.
This model and the PRM250 were instrumental in the discovery of Australia’s early Uranium deposits. As a kid I used it to check the radioactivity of my Uraninite and Torbernite specimens from the Rum Jungle Mine in the Northern Territory. It still works but sadly the original GM tube exists no more, but I have used many GM tubes with it. It still has the original valves and is powered by a 67.5V DC battery and a 6.0V DC battery. I get it working by using a few 9V DC batteries in series, but I do not turn it on too much as replacement valves exist no more. At one stage I was thinking about replacing the valves with FETS (Field Effect Transistors) but decided no – I want it to be as it was made all those years ago.

[Samuel]

There has been much interest in the goethite stalagmite I posted earlier, so I thought I would take three shots. As shown in the photo below there is a front, side and back view of the piece. It has the most enchanting luster and the colour is a lovely chocolate brown. Some might say it is quite phallic in appearance but definitely not to play with. It hails from the Dachang Polymetallic Ore Field, Nandan County, Hechi Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. It is 10 x 3 x 3 cm.