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[Tobi]

Very neat and elegant specimen!

[Carles Millan]

Schorl, quartz

Group of black short prismatic schorl crystals with smokey quartz. Undamaged, the cracks in the photos seem to be natural. Overall size: 76 mm x 65 mm. Main schorl crystal size: 26 mm wide. Main quartz crystal size: 48 mm high. Weight: 148 g.

Erongo Mountain, Erongo Region, Namibia.

Photos copyright © Carles Millan. Reproduction allowed as long as the author's name is cited and the image not modified. Creative Commons Attribution Licence - Some Rights Reserved.

[Jim]

Carles,

Congratulations on a truly aesthetic specimen! LOVE the contrast.

[Carles Millan]

[Tobi]

A wonderful specimen of the typical Erongo schorl in a very attractive association with quartz, i really like this one!

[Carles Millan]

[Tobi]

It's an aesthetic specimen from Namibia - i ALWAYS like such a thing :-)

[Carles Millan]

Elbaite, albite

Cluster of a dozen dark green elbaite crystals showing a translucent lighter green zone in the top, trapped by a net of bladed colorless transparent albite crystals. Undamaged. Overall size: 102 mm x 71 mm. Longest elbaite crystal: 36 mm. Most elbaite crystals: 13 mm wide. Weight: 177 g.

A very similar specimen is figured in the book The Steve Smale Collection - Beauty in Natural Crystals, page 109.

Stak Nala, Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Baltistan, Gilgit-Baltistan (former Northern Areas), Pakistan.

Another tourmaline from Stak Nala can be seen here.

Photos copyright © Carles Millan. Reproduction allowed as long as the author's name is cited and the image not modified. Creative Commons Attribution Licence - Some Rights Reserved.

My Personal Site

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8219M-elbaite1.jpg
Description:	Elbaite, albite Stak Nala, Haramosh Mountains, Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan 102 mm x 71 mm
Viewed:	51426 Time(s)

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8219M-elbaite2.jpg
Description:	Elbaite, albite Stak Nala, Haramosh Mountains, Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan 102 mm x 71 mm
Viewed:	51478 Time(s)

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8219M-elbaite3.jpg
Description:	Elbaite, albite Stak Nala, Haramosh Mountains, Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan 102 mm x 71 mm
Viewed:	51437 Time(s)

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8219MC-elbaite1.jpg
Description:	Elbaite, albite Stak Nala, Haramosh Mountains, Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan 102 mm x 71 mm Close up view
Viewed:	51496 Time(s)

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[GneissWare]

NICE!!!!!

[Carles Millan]

[Tobi]

Whatever taste one has - i can't imagine anyone who does not consider this specimen as nice. Well, i don't ... to me, it's VERY nice :-)

[Carles Millan]

Scolecite, apophyllite, stilbite

Acicular colorless scolecite crystals in a group with pale green apophyllite and very light pink stilbite. The apophyllite crystal includes other scolecite crystals with a habit somewhat spherical radiated, as seen in the photos. Overall size: 90 mm x 84 mm. Apophyllite crystal size: 36 mm high, 20 mm wide. Weight: 71 g.

Ahmadnagar District, Maharashtra, India.

Other specimens of scolecite from Maharashtra can be seen at https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=5569#5569 and https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=5585#5585

Photos copyright © Carles Millan. Reproduction allowed as long as the author's name is cited and the image not modified. Creative Commons Attribution Licence - Some Rights Reserved.

[Carles Millan]

Fluorite, elbaite, albite

Green fluorite crystal showing cubic {100} and octahedral {111} faces set on a group of dark green elbaite crystals with lighter green color tips, and colorless and transparent bladed albite crystals all around. Overall size: 60 mm x 41 mm. Fluorite crystal size: 20 mm deep. Weight: 60 g.

The most interesting point about this crystal is its pegmatitic origin (slowly cooling magma with gas or liquid pockets where crystals could grow), which is quite uncommon in the species, since the vast majority of fluorite specimens now in collections were formed through a hydrothermal process (very hot water, which at a pressure of 22 MPa or 218 atm can reach a top temperature of 647 K or 374ºC in liquid state, where the crystals grow by supersaturation when the solution is expanded or becomes colder).

Stak Nala, Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Baltistan, Gilgit-Baltistan (former Northern Areas), Pakistan.

Photos copyright © Carles Millan. Reproduction allowed as long as the author's name is cited and the image not modified. Creative Commons Attribution Licence - Some Rights Reserved.

[Tobi]

Too great, Carles! Two of the most fascinating mineral species on earth, combined in great colours and with albite as contrast on such a wonderful specimen. You excel yourself!

[Carles Millan]

Beryl, muscovite

Group of very pale blue, almost colorless, transparent beryl crystals, with a tabular habit showing a lot of faces other than the ones in the typical hexagonal prism, accompanied by muscovite crystals as seen in the photos. Complete all around. No damage. Overall size: 90 mm x 63 mm x 40 mm. Main beryl crystal: 48 mm wide, 14 mm thick. Weight: 193 g. Extracted in year 2011.

Huya village, Mt Xuebaoding, Pingwu Co., Mianyang Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China.

Hard to photograph specimen. Better in person.

Photos copyright © Carles Millan. Reproduction allowed as long as the author's name is cited and the image not modified. Creative Commons Attribution Licence - Some Rights Reserved.