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am mizunaka
Joined: 09 Apr 2010
Posts: 2053
Location: USA
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Posted: Jul 21, 2011 02:31 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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A very lustrous single crystal.
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Smoky Quartz Sierra Blanca, White Mountain Wilderness, Lincoln Co., New Mexico 6 x 1.8 cm |
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40401 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Jan 26, 2012 00:58 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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I finally got around to taking pictures of some of my New Mexico specimens. I'll keep adding photos as I get more taken. All of these specimens are field collected by me and my dad over the last 20+ years.
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Allophane Juanita Mine, Magdalena District, Socorro County, New Mexico, USA 8.3 x 6.4 cm A mineral not commonly seen from this locality |
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40082 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Jan 26, 2012 19:47 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Some more photos
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Azurite Nacimiento Copper Mine, Sandoval County, New Mexico, USA 14.0 x 12.7 cm From a find 15 years ago |
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39931 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Jan 26, 2012 19:56 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Now that I know how the process works, here are some more pics
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Baryte on Quartz Juanita Mine, Magdalena District, Socorro County, New Mexico, USA 6.4 x 6.4 cm with crystals to 2.5 cm |
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39927 Time(s) |
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Chalcocite replacing Wood Nacimiento Copper Mine, Sandoval County, New Mexico, USA 13.3 x 5.1 cm The primary ore of the copper mine |
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40099 Time(s) |
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Quartz pseudo-cubic Artesia, Eddy County, New Mexico, USA 2.5 x 1.9 cm A very unusual form for quartz |
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39935 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Jan 26, 2012 20:19 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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I had some trouble posting more than three attachmanets at a time, so I'll attach three pics per post
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Halite Intrepid Potash East Mine, Eddy County, New Mexico, USA 9.5 x 7.6 cm A cleavage piece of a larger crystal. Shot under incandescent light |
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40076 Time(s) |
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Hematite Queen, Eddy County, New Mexico, USA 3.8 x 3.2 cm Found in limestone beds among other uncrystallized hematite. Thus I believe it's hematite and not "limonite" or goethite after pyrite |
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Hemimorphite with Cuprite and Aurichalcite inclusions Sunshine #4 tunnel, Blanchard Claims, Bingham, Socorro County, New Mexico, USA 8.9 x 7.6 cm Ray Demark indentified the reddish colored inclusions as being cuprite |
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39949 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Jan 26, 2012 21:28 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Some more pics. I'll have to see if the Nacimiento Coper Mine is in Sandoval or Rio Arriba County. It is really close to the border.
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Smoky Quartz Sierra Blanca, White Mountain Wilderness, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA 8.9 x 5.7 cm My contribution to the Sierra Blanca smokies. Collected with my dad over 20 years ago. |
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40042 Time(s) |
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Smithsonite Blanchard Claims, Bingham, Socorro County, New Mexico, USA 7.0 x 6.4 cm Quality smithsonite is found rarely from Blanchard, but it does occasionally occur. |
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39910 Time(s) |
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Spessartine garnets in schist Truchas Peak, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, USA 5.1 x 3.2 cm Even in New Mexico not many collectors know about this locality, but it has produced garnets up to 2 cm in diameter |
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39997 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Jan 26, 2012 21:31 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Sorry for the typos. I didn't catch them until I had already submitted the posts.
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strahler
Joined: 15 Feb 2009
Posts: 30
Location: Colorado
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Posted: Jan 26, 2012 21:48 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Here are some pieces from 2011 digging at the Blanchard Mine. All these were dug by me, in March 2011. A huge thanks to Ray DeMark, he is the best.
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Fluorite and Galena Blanchard Claims, Bingham, Socorro County, New Mexico, USA 14 cm across |
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39915 Time(s) |
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Galena with Cerussite Blanchard Claims, Bingham, Socorro County, New Mexico, USA 7.5 cm across |
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39979 Time(s) |
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Fluorites and Galenas mixed. Blanchard Claims, Bingham, Socorro County, New Mexico, USA Here is an assortment of some of the finds, we found 200+ nice specimens in all. |
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39923 Time(s) |
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_________________ Regards,
Ryan Bowling |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Jan 26, 2012 21:59 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Ryan,
Great specimens! The Blanchard Claims have always been one of my favorite places to collect in New Mexico along with Sierra Blanca (way back in the day!) and the San Pedro Mine between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Philip
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John Medici
Joined: 02 Mar 2011
Posts: 124
Location: Ohio
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Posted: Jan 28, 2012 13:02 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Bingham area and Sierra Blanca have been favorites of our family also. My aunt lived in Carlsbad for 17 years so we often combined family visits and rock collecting. My first visit Bingham and the Hansonburg district mines was around 1971, but most of our activity collecting was post-1990. The amethyst phantoms in smoky quartz are one of the Sierra Blanca treats! So is the wildlife when one camps on the quartz ridge (ravens, elk, coyotes, mountain lions (we've heard often, but not seen), bears (only 1 large brown bear seen).
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Smoky quartz (amethyst phantom) Sierra Blanca, Lincoln Co., New Mexico, USA 7cm long |
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39733 Time(s) |
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Smoky quartz pocket Sierra Blanca, New Mexico |
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39825 Time(s) |
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_________________ field collector |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Jan 28, 2012 23:12 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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John,
Great smoky with amethyst phantom! My dad and I have a single crystal that looks almost exactly like the one in your picture. To my knowledge, there were only 3 or 4 pockets found that had these amethyst phantoms, and your's is another one to add to the list. How big was the pocket you found the crystals in?
It's interesting that you had family in Carlsbad, because that's where my wife and I live right now. I work at the potash mines as a Mining Engineer.
Are you going to be at the main Tucson show this year? If you are, maybe we could meet and swap collecting stories.
Philip
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Jan 28, 2012 23:59 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Hey John,
I thought you would get a kick out of these two pictures from Sierra Blanca! They were probably taken about 20 years ago when I was collecting with my dad. Both of the crystals have amethyst cores in them about 1/3 of the way down from the termination and came from the pocket in the first picture.
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Smoky Quartz Sierra Blanca, White Mountain Wilderness, Lincoln County Quartz xl. ~18 cm Me in a pocket of Smoky quartz with amethyst cores about 20 years ago |
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39691 Time(s) |
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Smoky and Amethyst Quartz Sierra Blanca, White Mountain Wilderness, Lincoln County 27.3 cm I found the top half and my dad found the bottom half. It took us by surprise when both sections fit together! |
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39691 Time(s) |
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Antonio Alcaide
Site Admin
Joined: 23 Aug 2009
Posts: 314
Location: Spain
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Posted: Jan 29, 2012 04:36 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Nice pictures from the past. Thanks for sharing!!!
Regards
_________________ Life is the shortest crystal |
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John Medici
Joined: 02 Mar 2011
Posts: 124
Location: Ohio
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Posted: Jan 30, 2012 01:21 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Philip Simmons wrote: | Hey John,
I thought you would get a kick out of these two pictures from Sierra Blanca! They were probably taken about 20 years ago when I was collecting with my dad. Both of the crystals have amethyst cores in them about 1/3 of the way down from the termination and came from the pocket in the first picture. |
Great pictures Philip! To answer your questions, we have found several pockets with amethyst phantom crystals. The first was the only one that had all phantoms, 32 crystals, the largest 1lb and around 6" (15cm) long. That pocket was near the high point in the ridge deposit, but others were at various points and the phantom crystals were in zones usually, although not easy to recognize due to the colloidal silica and limonite coating on them when collected. (For Forum members, these coatings are removed by HCL, then HF carefully! The latter acid is not recommended for individuals not familiar with handling it!). The pocket picture was also around 20 years ago; it was the largest we have collected, about refrigerator size, and represented multiple backpack trips down the mountain. No phantoms in this pocket, however. Also, if you overexpose photos of the phantom crystals you can often see more amethyst color. Phantoms found by us have ranged from the bottom to about midway in the smoky crystals.
Yes, son Jay and I will be in our usual booth at the main show in Tucson - look us up. My aunt was south of Carlsbad proper, near Whites City - she built what is probably the only Dutch Colonial style house in all of NM (many in NJ, our original residence). (also had 2 rattlesnake dens on the property) - will post a picture (5 ft one). I see that some of my photos of Hansenburg things (Bingham) didn't make it so I will try to send them individually.
A last not on Carlsbad, I got a Carlsbad sylvite @ langbeinite recently at a Tucson show, maybe from your mine(s)?
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39526 Time(s) |
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_________________ field collector |
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John Medici
Joined: 02 Mar 2011
Posts: 124
Location: Ohio
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Posted: Jan 30, 2012 01:26 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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a rarity at Sierra Blanca
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fluorite & smoky quartz Sierra Blanca |
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39538 Time(s) |
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_________________ field collector |
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John Medici
Joined: 02 Mar 2011
Posts: 124
Location: Ohio
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Posted: Jan 30, 2012 01:33 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Other NM quartz, common in multiple areas in the state.
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Quartz (Pecos "diamonds") Chavez County, NM (1cm ring) |
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39517 Time(s) |
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_________________ field collector |
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John Medici
Joined: 02 Mar 2011
Posts: 124
Location: Ohio
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Posted: Jan 30, 2012 01:46 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Bingham, NM specimens
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Malachite on Quartz Blanchard mines, Bingham,NM specimen 8cm across |
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39491 Time(s) |
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_________________ field collector |
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John Medici
Joined: 02 Mar 2011
Posts: 124
Location: Ohio
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Posted: Jan 30, 2012 02:03 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Mex-Tex Mine specimens. (All NM specimens shown were collected by Medici family members.)
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Baryte Mex-Tex mine, Bingham, NM |
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39481 Time(s) |
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Baryte (a floater) Mex-Tex Mine, Bingham, NM |
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39469 Time(s) |
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Calcite (twin?) (assocd. with Baryte) Mex-Tex Mine, Bingham, NM |
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39462 Time(s) |
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John Medici
Joined: 02 Mar 2011
Posts: 124
Location: Ohio
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Posted: Jan 30, 2012 02:20 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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Dave Pachan, Jay and I visited the Desert Rose Claim at Bingham a couple of years back after the Tucson show.
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Pachan with Baryte specimen Desert Rose claim, Bingham, NM heavy |
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39558 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Jan 30, 2012 21:50 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - New Mexico |
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John,
A great fluorite and smoky combo! My dad and I never did manage to find any of the pockets with thoses nice green octahedrons, but in our explorations we did find one single smoky with a ~0.7 cm purple and green fluorite octahedron attached to the side. So you're the guys who collected the "Refrigerator Pocket"! It's interesting that you use that comparison because we always referred to it as the "Refrigerator Pocket" as well. I'll have to tell you a story about that pocket when I see you in Tucson. The largest pocket we collected was probably about 3/4 the size of yours.
I'm curious about the lang and sylvite piece you got from Tucson. I haven't gotten rid of any of mine yet, except to donate to the New Mexico Tech mineral museum, and I wonder where it came from. There are two potash companies in the Basin, and the specimen had to come from one of the mines they own. I could probably identify which location if I saw the specimen. By the way, I've been recently collecting some spectacular blue halite and some other rare sulfate minerals during the past two years that I've been working in Carlsbad.
I'm planning on making it to Tucson the weekend of the Main Show so I'll see you there!
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