FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Samuel]

This is another of my fossils – a trilobite. I believe it to be a Phacops rana crassituberculata, Silica shale formation, middle Devonian, Sylvania, Ohio, but I cannot be certain as the original label was lost years ago. The trilobite is about 2cm wide and curled up.

[Samuel]

I just thought I would post a few happy snaps, well two of another native copper specimen I have from Red Dome. It is a “floater” and consists of a mass of copper crystals. The crystals may be coated with a thin layer of Cuprite. It is another specimen I was given by the mining company for services rendered. It hails from Red Dome Mine, Chillagoe, Herberton District, Queensland, Australia. It is about 6 x 4 x 4 cm.

[Samuel]

This is another native Copper Ore specimen I received as a gift from the Red Dome Mine almost 18 years ago. It is very thick wire of native copper that gives the appearance of a tree trunk with branches of thick copper clearly visible. It hails from the Red Dome Mine, Chillagoe, Herberton District, Queensland, Australia. It is 10 x 5 x 2 cm.

From my experience in the Mining Industry, most mining companies will give specimens to genuine collectors but it is all in the asking. Most mining people are “down-to-earth” practical folk and as such may not always see your view on rocks. Their job is to crush “em” and extract the metal. When a significant find of display quality material is made most specimens are given to Museums or Universities, but some do end up with collectors – well, like me.

[Lumaes]

Pseudomorphs

There is a lot of interest in pseudomorphs and the underlying causes leading to their formation. So I decided to post the first page of a Scientific Paper that came my way a few months ago. It is a very interesting scientific study of the replacement of pentlandite by violarite. It is doubtful that you will see the authors at Mineral shows, forum parties or discussed in the more mainstream mineral magazines – they are too busy doing groundbreaking research that keeps the interest in minerals very much alive for future generations.

I will be starting my own WEB page on Minerals, Chemistry, the best places to get minerals and industry news and reviews and so you will all be welcome to looksee.

[Lumaes]

This is another one of my “ore specimens’ and it comes from the Yaogangxian Mine. When purchased it was labeled Stannite, but I had my doubts. I thought it may be sphalerite. But analysis showed it to be Tennantite. As can be seen from the photos the matrix is massive Tennantite on which sharp crystals of the same mineral have grown. It hails from Yaogangxian Mine, Yizhang County, Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province, China. 7 x 3 x 2 cm.

[Lumaes]

This is another “eye-candy” piece I have. It is a cluster of Smokey quartz crystals and spessartine garnets. It is very showy and the garnets have the most captivating colour and luster. I reckon it is a real gem. It hails from the Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao County, Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China. The complete specimen is 12 x 10 x 6 cm.

[Darren]

Samuel, your photos are fantastic, and thanks for including the extras like books and articles. I have really enjoyed seeing what you decided to post - very nice collection, indeed!

Darren

[Lumaes]

Hi Darren:

Thank you very much for your kind words. It is important for people to see another side to minerals, basically the minerals. The personalities are fine, but at the end of the day it is all about the minerals, and that is why we are here. I will be posting some plans on how to make great wooden display stands and I hope other will benefit. It is important that knowledge is shared and spread by all, so that all may benefit.

[Lumaes]

This is another view of a Fluorite on Quartz I posted earlier. I had another look at it and noticed it consists of “balls” of Fluorite with complex stepped faces. The crystals are clear on the outside but have beautiful lilac phantoms on the inside. It is Fluorite like this that could turn me into a collector of gangue minerals – only joking!!! It hails from Shangbao Pyrite Mine, Leiyang County, Hengyang Prefecture, Hunan Province, China. It is 8 x 7 x 6 cm.

[Lumaes]

Featured below is another of my “ore” minerals. It is a large chunk of Cuprite and the surface is covered in Cuprite crystals. There are two main cavities in the piece and these are full of the most brilliant red crystals of Cuprite I have ever seen. It hails from the Red Dome Mine, Chillagoe, Herberton District, Queensland, Australia. It is 8 x 6 x 4 cm.

I have a few more "eye-candy" pieces on order and will post photos when they arrive.

[Lumaes]

Featured below is another of my “ore” minerals, and in my opinion it is the most beautiful sulphide in the mineral kingdom. It is Covellite and its simple formula of CuS hides just how interesting and complex its structure is. It has the most amazing blue colour coupled with a beautiful iridescence. I have tried to capture these features in the photos below. The matrix is quartz (I surmise) with abundant pyrite. It hails from the Leonard Mine, Butte, Butte District, Silver Bow County, Montana, U.S.A. It is 5 x 5 x 5 cm. It was a gift from Jack Lowell.

[Lumaes]

Below is another piece from Peru. It is a small plate of Pyrite with Tetrahedrite. There is a large Pyrite crystal to the right and a few smaller ones scattered around the piece. It also shows a latter generation of microcrystalline Pyrite. The luster on these Pyrites is just amazing – mirror like reflections. Beautiful! It hails from the Quiruvilca Mine, Quiruvilca District, Santiago de Chuco Province, La Libertad Department, Peru. It is 9 s 6 x 3 cm.

I have ordered some Dremel parts - wood routers and I have been out shopping for some nice wood and a few acrylic sheets. Once I have got all my stuff together I am going to make a few really top notch wooden stands and when I am happy with the finished product I will post the plans, perhaps even a video so other may be able to duplicate my work.

[Lumaes]

Below is a book I have in my technical library and one I can highly recommend. It is a book every serious mineral collector should possess. It is the holy grail of Inorganic texts. The left hand photo shows the title and authors and the right hand one shows a nice discussion on Realgar and Orpiment. Sadly Dr Alan Sharpe passed away a few years ago. The structure of Realgar is interesting and gives clues as to why it is a very unstable mineral in the presence of visible light . Look at the cage structure and the consider the stability of the As-As and As-S bonds. To get the full story I suggest getting the book.

[Lumaes]

Below is another of my “ore” minerals, and this one is perhaps among the most colourful minerals you can get. I have included two close-up shots. Regrettably it is also very fragile and there will always be few broken crystals. It hails from the Adelaide Mine, Zeehan Mining District, Dundas, Tasmania, Australia. 10 x 7 x 7 cm.

It is also an interesting mineral because other members of the same type PbMO4 exist. Chromium belongs to a class of elements in the periodic table called group six. The other members of this group include Molybdenum, Tungsten and the artificial element Seaborgium. The naturally occurring elements form what is known as a “triad” and members of this triad have similar physical and chemical properties but also a lot of differences too. Below is a table showing the other mineral members of this triad – Wulfenite and Stolzite. Compare other element groups, Copper, Silver, Gold and Sphalerite with Greenockite and Cinnabar. There are many more examples too! This is what I try to do with my collection – base it on the Periodic Table of the Elements.

[Lumaes]

This is another of my Chinese Cassiterites but this one comes from Yaogangxian. It is composed of very sharp Cassiterites with Arsenopyrite, mica and quartz. I surmise the Cassiterites are twinned. It hails from the Yaogangxian Mine, Yizhang County, Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province, China. 9 x 6 x 4 cm.