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Michael Shaw
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Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 2067
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Feb 06, 2013 09:58 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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More from Dal'negorsk today; all from the Nikolaevskiy Mine.
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Sphalerite Nikolaevskiy Mine, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 6.6 x 7.0 cm. Complex black sphalerite crystal to 3.5 cm featuring lustrous stepped trigon faces associated with small quartz crystals. |
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44251 Time(s) |
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Galena Nikolaevskiy Mine, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 5.3 x 5.7 cm. Lustrous, bright galena crystals with equal development of cube and octahedron associated with brassy chalcopyrite and minor pyrrhotite |
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44233 Time(s) |
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Calcite Nikolaevskiy Mine, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 5.1 x 7.0 cm. Intergrown groups of curved lenticular calcite crystals. These were from a unique pocket found in early 2005. |
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44221 Time(s) |
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Fluorite Nikolaevskiy Mine, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 5.2 x 6.1 cm. Water clear cubic fluorite crystals to 2.0 cm. on a light tan siderite matrix with several small quartz crystals. |
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44232 Time(s) |
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Tobi
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Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 4105
Location: Germany
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Posted: Feb 06, 2013 10:00 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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What a wonderful clear Dal'negorsk fluorite, wow!
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Michael Shaw
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Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 2067
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Feb 07, 2013 17:17 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Thanks Tobi. Today's post includes another fluorite from the Nikolaevskiy Mine, but this one has a very different habit.
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Fluorite Nikolaevskiy Mine, Da'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 5.0 x 9.0 cm. Colorless fluorite crystals to 2.5 cm with small quartz crystals and drusy siderite. The fluorites exhibit a modified dodecahedral habit and textured surfaces. |
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44128 Time(s) |
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Pyrrhotite Nikolaevskiy Mine, Da'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 4.5 x 5.0 cm. Thick hexagonal prisms to 5 cm on a small matrix composed of fine needle-like quartz crystals. |
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44225 Time(s) |
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Calcite Nikolaevskiy Mine, Da'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 5.2 x 7.0 cm. Bundles of tightly-packed scalenohedral manganoan calcite to 3.5 cm. that remind me of the calcites from Pachapaqui. Collected in August 2011. |
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44191 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
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Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 2067
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Feb 19, 2013 10:50 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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After spending the last week in Tucson and returning home with a few new rocks, it's time to study the new additions and catalog everything. The displays at the main show were great and we even had time to attend a couple good presentations. We enjoyed a week of visiting and catching up with many friends, including the illustrious host of this forum.
Today I'll continue with a few specimens from the Nikolaevskiy Mine at Dal'negorsk.
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Hematite ps. ilvaite Nikolaevskiy Mine, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 3.5 x 6.5 cm Elongated prismatic crystals of ilvaite have been partially replaced by hematite and dusted with a sparkly druse of micro quartz. Collected in 2005. |
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44044 Time(s) |
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Siderite Nikolaevskiy Mine, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 4.2 x 5.7 cm. Tan spheres of siderite that look like they are undergoing mitosis. |
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44064 Time(s) |
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Ilvaite on quartz Nikolaevskiy Mine, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 4.4 x 5.8 cm. Doubly terminated ilvaite crystals scattered over a quartz matrix. |
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44082 Time(s) |
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Calcite Nikolaevskiy Mine, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 9.6 x 11.1 cm. This calcite is the newest addition to my Dal'negorsk suite - obtained at the 2013 Tucson Show. |
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43989 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
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Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 2067
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Feb 20, 2013 12:12 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Today's post includes a few more pieces from the mines at Dal'negorsk, including the Bor Pit, 1st Sovietskiy, Vtoroy Sovietskiy, and Verchniy mines.
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Datolite Bor Pit, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 6.8 x 7.0 cm A group of lustrous blocky green and yellow datolite crystals partially coated with sugary-textured fluorapophyllite. Small axinite crystals are also present on a small piece of matrix on the back side of the specimen. |
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44103 Time(s) |
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Sphalerite Vtoroy Sovietskiy Mine, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 5.2 x 10.5 cm. Lustrous, black, twinned sphalerite crystals to 1.0 cm preferentially coated with a druse of brown siderite. |
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43966 Time(s) |
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Calcite First Sovietskiy Mine, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 4.0 x 5.5 cm. An intergrown group of colorless tabular hexagonal crystals associated with a small piece of green fluorite. |
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43921 Time(s) |
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Quartz Vtoroy Sovietskiy mIne, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kary, Russia 9.0 x 12.0 cm. A jackstraw group of slender orange quartz crystals partially coated with a second generation of colorless quartz from the find in 1996. |
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43948 Time(s) |
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Pyrite Verchniy Mine, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 5.5 x 8.0 cm. A floater group of brassy pyrite crystals forming rosettes to 1.5 cm. Difficult to photograph because of the high luster and multitude of crystal faces. |
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43931 Time(s) |
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Calcite Verchniy Mine, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia 3.5 x 10.0 cm. Scalenohedral calcite crystals to 4.0 cm. perched on a column of arborescent tan calcite and quartz. |
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43940 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
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Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 2067
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Feb 22, 2013 12:43 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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While photographing some new pieces today, I was thinking where to go next now that I am finished posting pieces from Dal'negorsk. After photographing 3 specimens from Mexico that we acquired last week in Tucson, I thought why not show some specimens from the richly mineralized country on our southern border.
Mexico has a rich mining history that predates the Spanish conquest, and today, Mexico continues to be a major area for mineral exploration. Currently, Mexico is one of the world’s top metal producers ranking 2nd in silver production, 5th in lead, 6th in zinc, molybdenum, and cadmium, 8th in Baryte and manganese, 11th in gold, and 12th in copper. In 2010, there were 700 companies involved in mining and mineral exploration and the total value of mineral production was $13.9 billion. Certainly this can't be a bad thing for mineral collectors.
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Duftite-conichalcite series Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico 4.5 x 6.5 cm. Light green botryoidal and micro-crystals associated with colorless calcite crystals on the typical gossan matrix. I acquired this piece from Jordi, and he indicated that the 3 pieces that he had tested each turned out to be duftite. |
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43844 Time(s) |
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Milarite on adularia Valenciana Mine, Guanajuato, Mexico 4.5 x 5.7 x 8.8 Lustrous rhombic adularia crystals with small prismatic yellow milarite and and sparkly quartz crystals. |
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43879 Time(s) |
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Azurite Los Olivos Mine, Chihuahua, Mexico 2.8 x 5.9 cm. Dennis Beals, the proprietor of XTAL, had a small batch of these attractive azurites from a mine that I'd never heard of. The location is listed on Mindat along with a couple of azurite photos, so although the location is not entirely new, I'm hoping that the current batch represents good things to come from there in the future. |
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43891 Time(s) |
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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Posted: Feb 22, 2013 13:07 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Excellent photos (and specimens)!
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Michael Shaw
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Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 2067
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Feb 23, 2013 12:17 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Thank you Bob. I enjoyed seeing your fluorite from Melchor Musquiz. The stepped growth and purple-tinged rims make these pieces very distinctive; I will post a similar piece later on.
Today's post includes some some older pieces from Mexico that have been in my collection for about 30 years. Two happen to be pseudomorphs which was the focus of my collecting efforts at one time. I'm still fascinated by the process that takes place during the transformation.
Michael
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Stibiconite ps. after stibnite La Bufa Mine, Catorce, San Luis Potosi, Mexico 7.8 x 9.0 cm. Prismatic crystals of stibnite replaced by yellowish-tan stibiconite on a quartz matrix. |
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43843 Time(s) |
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Goethite ps. after gypsum Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico 6.7 x 7.7 cm. Black goethite forming perfect hollow epimorphs of gypsum crystals which are now gone. This piece is light as a feather. |
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43801 Time(s) |
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Calcite Buena Tiera Mine, Francisco Portillo, Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico 7.5 x 8.4 cm. Lustrous calcite rhombs to 2.5 cm on edge colored reddish brown by iron oxides. |
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43782 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
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Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 2067
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Feb 25, 2013 09:41 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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A trifecta of mimetites for today's post.
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Mimetite Inglaterra Mine, Francisco Portillo, Mun. de Aquiles Serdán, Chihuahua, Mexico 4.5 x 7.5 cm, Lustrous, orange-brown mimetites that remind me of cauliflower. There are also some small white calcite rhombs on the base of the specimen. |
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43766 Time(s) |
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Mimetite Minerales Shaft, West Camp, Mun. de Aquiles Serdán, Chihuahua, Mexico 6.0 x 7.4 cm. A limonitic matrix encrusted with mimetite crystals to 5 mm. The crystals have yellow bases, with an intermediate brown zone, and have mustard yellow pyramidal terminations. |
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43730 Time(s) |
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Mimetite Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico 8.5 x 10.5 cm. Groups of yellow-green crystals to 3.0 mm coating a gossan matrix with minor calcite and wulfenite. |
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43706 Time(s) |
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Mimetite (closeup of above specimen) Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico FOV = 6.0 cm. |
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43694 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
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Posts: 2067
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Feb 27, 2013 11:04 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Continuing with Mexico today - a trio of wulfenites.
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Wulfenite Ahumada Mine, Los Lamentos District, Chihuahua, Mexico 5.0 x 6.8 cm. Bright orange pseudocubic wulfenite crystals to 1.0 cm associated with drusy brown descloizite and white calcite. |
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43669 Time(s) |
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Wulfenite San Juan Poniente vein, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico 5.8 x 8.6 cm. A limonitic matrix covered by butterscotch-colored wulfenite crystals with a pyramidal habit. |
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43674 Time(s) |
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Wulfenite San Francisco Mine, 5th Level, Cucurpe, Sonora, Mexico 5.3 x 6.4 cm. Wafer-thin wulfenite crystals to 2.0 cm. hosting small botryoidal orange mimetite crystals and and bladed white Baryte. |
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43713 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
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Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 2067
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Mar 01, 2013 10:38 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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The three specimens that I selected for today's post are all from the San Antonio Mine in the Santa Eulalia District. This is apparently a very popular mine name in Mexico, as I counted 36 mines by this name in 15 Mexican states. There are 6 San Antonio Mines in the state of Chihuahua alone, so one needs to pay attention to the locality information given.
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Mimetite on calcite San Antonio Mine, Santa Eulalia, Mun. de Aquiles Serdán, Chihuahua, Mexico 5.8 x 6.9 cm. Yellowish brown spheres of mimetite to 2 mm scattered over colorless to to white calcite crystals on a limonite matrix. |
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43514 Time(s) |
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Calcite San Antonio Mine, Santa Eulalia, Mun. de Aquiles Serdán, Chihuahua, Mexico 6.3 x 7.5 cm. Sharp brown scalenohedral calcite crystals to 4 cm. on a colorless massive calcite matrix. |
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43577 Time(s) |
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Smithsonite San Antonio Mine, Santa Eulalia, Mun. de Aquiles Serdán, Chihuahua, Mexico 5.0 x 7.5 cm. Botryoidal smithsonite that could almost be mistaken for the Kelly Mine. |
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43591 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
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Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 2067
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Mar 04, 2013 13:03 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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You may want to cover your eyes Jordi. I am not opposed to including a few polished agates in my collection, especially if they are as pretty as the Laguna agate I am posting today.
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Chalcedony var. Laguna agate Estacion Ojo Laguna, Chihuahua, Mexico 8.1 x 9.3 cm. |
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43463 Time(s) |
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Fluorite Tule Mine, Melchor Musquiz, Coahuila, Mexico 5.9 x 7.8 cm. Nearly colorless cubic fluorite crystals with pale purple zoned rims and pronounced stepped-growth on the cube faces. |
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43558 Time(s) |
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Fluorapatite Cerro de Mercado Mine, Victoria de Durango, Durango, Mexico 3.2 x 4.4 cm. Loose yellow crystals from this deposit are relatively common, but nice matrix specimens with gemmy crystals are a bit harder to find. Collected in 2008. |
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43476 Time(s) |
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Don Lum
Joined: 03 Sep 2012
Posts: 2856
Location: Arkansas
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Posted: Mar 04, 2013 21:53 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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crosstimber wrote: | You may want to cover your eyes Jordi. I am not opposed to including a few polished agates in my collection, especially if they are as pretty as the Laguna agate I am posting today. |
Michael, that is a gorgeous Laguna agate.
Don
_________________ hogwild |
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Michael Shaw
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Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 2067
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Mar 05, 2013 10:15 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Thanks Don. It sure would be nice to go on a field trip to the ranch where those Laguna agates are found.
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Michael Shaw
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Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Mar 06, 2013 08:59 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Still sticking with the Mexico theme, but today I am switching thing up a bit and will post a few thumbnail size specimens, instead of the cabinet-sized pieces that comprise the majority of my collection.
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Adamite Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico 2.2 x 2.8 cm. |
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43293 Time(s) |
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Azurite Millpilas Mine, Ciutaca, Mun. de Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico 2.3 x 2.6 cm. |
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43444 Time(s) |
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Pyrargyrite San Luis Mine, Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico 2.2 x 2.3 cm |
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43261 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
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Joined: 30 Apr 2008
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Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Mar 08, 2013 09:56 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Today, a few more thumbnail-sized minerals from Mexico.
Description: |
Wulfenite Erupción Mine, Sierra de Los Lamentos, Chihuauhua, Mexico 2.3 x 2.8 cm. A bright orange zoned wulfenite crystal on a white calcite matrix. |
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43278 Time(s) |
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Silver La Nevada Mine, Cerro San Antonio, Mun. de Batopilas, Chihuahua, Mexico 1.8 x 2.9 cm. Spinel-twinned silver forming a herringbone pattern with remnant white calcite. |
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43229 Time(s) |
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Malachite Milpillas Mine, Ciutaca, Mun. de Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico 2.2 x 2.9 cm Chatoyant malachite pseudomorphing azurite. |
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43242 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
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Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Mar 10, 2013 15:14 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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These are the last few thumbnail pieces from Mexico that I have photographed. I guess I'll have to get busy with the camera.
Description: |
Quartz var. amethyst Piedra Parada, Mun. de Tatatila, Veracruz, Mexico 2.2 x 2.7 cm. |
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43021 Time(s) |
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Acanthite San Juan de Rayas Mine, Guanajuato, Mexico 2.1 x 2.4 cm. |
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42964 Time(s) |
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Stephanite San Luis Shaft, Level 630, Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico 1.5 x 1.9 cm. |
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42958 Time(s) |
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Topaz Villa Garcia, Zacatecas, Mexico 2.5 x 2.7 cm. |
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43094 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
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Posts: 2067
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Mar 13, 2013 10:57 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Continuing with Mexico today, but no more thumbnails - back to small cabinet-sized specimens.
Description: |
Pyrrhotite El Potosi Mine, Mun. de Aquiles Serdan, Santa Eulalia Dist., Chihuahua, Mexico 5.0 x 6.5 cm. Bright brassy metallic floater group of stacked pseudohexagonal crystals to 4.0 cm with minor white quartz. |
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42925 Time(s) |
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Adamite Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico 4.0 x 6.1 cm. Turquoise blue cuprian adamite crystals to 0.6 cm in brown gossan matrix. Collected from #9 Lugar in 1988. |
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42882 Time(s) |
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Fluorite Gibraltar Mine, Naica, Mun. de Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico 5.8 x 6.8 cm. Colorless cuboctohedral fluorite crystals to 2.5 cm on a matrix of galena with accenting quartz crystals. Collected in December 2006. |
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42867 Time(s) |
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
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Posted: Mar 13, 2013 11:33 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Hi Michael; exellent specimens and photos. Viewing such as these, I have no need to visit Tuscon:-) :-)
_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Michael Shaw
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Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 2067
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: Mar 15, 2013 09:39 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Thank you very much Pierre. I'm very pleased that you are enjoying some of the minerals in my humble collection.
Today I will continue with Mexico, going back to the 1960s and 70s for these three pieces.
Michael
Description: |
Adamite Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico 7.1 x 13.2 cm. Lustrous yellow prismatic crystals of adamite with well-defined faces and edges on a brown gossan matrix. |
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42688 Time(s) |
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Wulfenite Aurora Mine, Cuchillo Parado, Mun. de Coyame, Chihuahua, Mexico 7.0 x 8.2 cm. Brownish-orange pyramidal crystals to 6 mm lining cavities in gossan matrix. |
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42742 Time(s) |
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Gypsum Naica, Mun. de Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico 5.5 x 9.5 cm. Slender blades of transparent gypsum to 6.0 cm on a triangular plate of smaller crystals colored greenish brown by iron oxides. |
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42791 Time(s) |
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