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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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 Posted: Jun 04, 2013 11:39 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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You are welcome Joan, thank you for your interest !
Best regards, Mike : )
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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| Posted: Jun 19, 2013 16:52 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Now for something completely different...
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Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
Granite, miarolitic cavities, and mountains : ) |
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25823 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
42mm x 22mm x 17mm
Gemmy, but with a few veils inside. Rare to find these with undamaged terminations.
Self-collected. |
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25834 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
42mm x 22mm x 17mm
Same specimen |
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25849 Time(s) |
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
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| Posted: Jun 20, 2013 01:41 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Hi Mike. Once again, nice photos. The smoky has a good colour. Is it common, and up to what size do you find them? Best regards.
_________________
Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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| Posted: Jun 20, 2013 12:48 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Thanks Pierre; small crystals (1-2cm) are fairly common; large crystals (5-7cm) are rare. They can be found loose on the ground sometimes, otherwise from miarolitic cavities (where many small or a few large crystals can be found). They are most often damaged at the termination due I think to frost/ice action in the wet mud/gravel in the cavities - one drawback of a cold winter climate !
The few specimens I have which are undamaged were found in cavities that were dry, well-drained, or more open. The next specimen is from a different locality.
| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
40mm x 17mm x 13mm
Good termination and colour, and very clear inside. |
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25733 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
40mm x 17mm x 13mm
Same specimen from the other side, with a bit more lighting. |
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25740 Time(s) |
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supertxango
Joined: 15 Jul 2012
Posts: 135
Location: Madrid
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| Posted: Jun 20, 2013 14:01 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Hi Mike,
Small quartzs but with an incredible transparency and beautiful deep color. The association of this kind of quartzs with microcline or amazonite is one of my favorite mineral compositions.
Regards,
Juan H
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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| Posted: Jun 20, 2013 15:08 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Hi Juan, glad you like them; I must confess I am a fairly recent convert to quartz appreciation, but I have seen the light ! And it is good !
Combination of smoky quartz and microcline feldspar are even more rare, but I have a couple of specimens, here's one..
| Description: |
Smoky Quartz + Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
8cm x 7cm high x 4cm
Double-terminated quartz crystal 72mm long, fairly clear near the top. The feldspar crystals are sadly damaged. Self-collected. |
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25692 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz + Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
8cm x 7cm high x 4cm
The other side |
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25686 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
90mm x 45mm x 30mm
A big one - with quite a lot of veils (bubble-trains or lines of bubbles), as the larger crystals tend to have. Self-collected. |
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25694 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
90mm x 45mm x 30mm
Same specimen |
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25687 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
90mm x 45mm x 30mm
The other side of the above specimen - not so good, with contacting. |
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25695 Time(s) |
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supertxango
Joined: 15 Jul 2012
Posts: 135
Location: Madrid
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| Posted: Jun 20, 2013 15:28 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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| Mike Wood wrote: | Hi Juan, glad you like them; I must confess I am a fairly recent convert to quartz appreciation, but I have seen the light ! And it is good !
Combination of smoky quartz and microcline feldspar are even more rare, but I have a couple of specimens, here's one.. |
Be sure you will be possessed by quartz power :-)
The dark quartz with the white-cream microcline is stunning.
Thank´s for sharing it!
Juan H
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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| Posted: Jun 22, 2013 17:53 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Thanks Juan H, I appreciate your comments ! ;-)
Here are four similar sized smoky quartz crystals with different themes of formation, all from the same cavity. The two on the left have damaged terminations; the two on the right have not. Then we have something unusual from a separate location.
| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
59mm, 55mm, 54mm, 61mm
Length of crystals, from left to right.
Self-collected. |
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25461 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
59mm, 55mm, 54mm, 61mm |
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25467 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
55mm and 54mm tall
Close-up of the middle two crystals |
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25468 Time(s) |
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Beryl (var aquamarine) and smoky quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
Aquamarine crystal 17mm x 6mm x 4mm
These crystals all came from the same mud-filled miarolitic cavity, which was not quite big enough to get my hand in, and over 30cm deep. The smoky quartz terminations were all damaged. The smoky on the right is 46mm tall. Self-collected. |
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25606 Time(s) |
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Beryl (var aquamarine)
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
17mm x 6mm x 4mm
Close-up of the aquamarine crystal, only the second one I have found on Arran, after 19 years of going there. They are rare ! |
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25607 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
Looking north along Glen Rosa (valley) towards the fine mountain of Cir Mhor (799m). Although the mountains of Arran are modest in height in comparison to many of Scotlands' mountains, they possess a unique grandeur. Photo taken in november. |
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25457 Time(s) |
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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| Posted: Jun 25, 2013 13:19 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Smoky quartz - one of my nicer specimens. Also an microcline feldspar crystal from the same pocket.
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Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
76mm x 35mm x 26mm
Nice undamaged crystal, deep colour and good transparency but quite a lot of veils inside. A few tiny quartz and feldspar crystals on this side only. Self-collected. |
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25386 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
76mm x 35mm x 26mm
same specimen as above |
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25462 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
76mm x 35mm x 26mm
same specimen as above showing interesting termination |
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25444 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
76mm x 35mm x 26mm
same specimen as above |
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25376 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
50mm x 21mm x 18mm crystal
Microcline feldspar crystal free-standing on a small piece of matrix. Self-collected. |
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25383 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
50mm x 21mm x 18mm crystal
Same specimen as above |
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25378 Time(s) |
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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| Posted: Jun 27, 2013 09:34 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Some more microcline feldspar crystals
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Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
50mm x 40mm x 32mm
Two intergrown microcline crystals with a small remnant of smoky quartz near the base.
Self-collected. |
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25308 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
50mm x 40mm x 32mm
Same specimen as above |
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25281 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
50mm x 40mm x 32mm
Same specimen as above |
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25313 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
73mm x 20mm x17mm
A more elongated, single crystal |
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25284 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
73mm x 20mm x17mm
Same specimen as above |
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25286 Time(s) |
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Ru Smith
Joined: 13 Oct 2012
Posts: 362
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| Posted: Jun 27, 2013 18:38 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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| How wonderful to have found that Arran aquamarine. Do you have Mourne examples to go with the Scottish ones? The feldspar twins are also very fine.
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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| Posted: Jun 27, 2013 18:49 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Mike,
The Arran material is quite extraordinary. Thanks for sharing!
Bob
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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| Posted: Jun 28, 2013 09:08 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Bob, thanks for your appreciation, it's a pleasure to share.
Ru, I don't have any similar Mourne Mountains (N.I.) aquamarines, just a small greenish beryl on matrix which I bought. I've never been across the water to Ireland, but if I did, the Mournes' would be top of the 'to do' list !
| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
65mm x 45mm x 45mm
Two curious flattened smoky quartz crystals joined together. Self-collected. |
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25136 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
65mm x 45mm x 45mm
Same specimen as above |
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25175 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
65mm x 45mm x 45mm
Same specimen as above. The large, smooth crystal face is nearly 5cm long. |
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25143 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz + Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
30mm x 11mm x 16mm
Tidy little specimen, again there are veils inside the crystal, but when you look at them closely they are extraordinarily beautiful and mysterious. |
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25145 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz + Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
30mm x 11mm x 16mm
Same specimen as above |
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| Viewed: |
25129 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz + Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
30mm x 11mm x 16mm
Same specimen as above showing internal veiling. |
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25153 Time(s) |
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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| Posted: Jun 28, 2013 10:33 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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These specimens are from a different cavity. The smoky quartzes are very deeply coloured, almost black, but with very clean lines and incredible lustre. The feldspar is a bit different also.
| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
67mm x 40mm x 38mm |
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25116 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
67mm x 40mm x 38mm
Same specimen as above |
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| Viewed: |
25116 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
67mm x 40mm x 38mm
Same specimen as above - backside |
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| Viewed: |
25139 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
105mm x 90mm x 55mm
Large group of curved aggregates of creamy-white microcline crystals. Self-collected. |
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| Viewed: |
25096 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
105mm x 90mm x 55mm
Same specimen as above |
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| Viewed: |
25109 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
105mm x 90mm x 55mm
Side view of same specimen as above |
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| Viewed: |
25103 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
57mm x 43mm x 35mm
Another smoky from the same cavity |
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| Viewed: |
25090 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
57mm x 43mm x 35mm
Same specimen as above |
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| Viewed: |
25091 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
57mm x 43mm x 35mm
Same specimen as above showing internal veiling. These smokies are very deep brown but still have some degree of transparency. |
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25080 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
61mm x 50mm x 48mm
Another, smaller microcline feldspar specimen from the same cavity, consisting mainly of one large single twinned curved crystal ! |
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25048 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
61mm x 50mm x 48mm
Same specimen as above |
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| Viewed: |
25109 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
| Looking NW towards Cir Mhor, and Caisteal Abhail beyond; from Goatfell. Photo taken in August. |
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| Viewed: |
25107 Time(s) |
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Antonio Alcaide
Site Admin
Joined: 23 Aug 2009
Posts: 314
Location: Spain
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| Posted: Jun 28, 2013 10:50 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Stunning Manebach feldspar twins!! I think Manebach twins are single, not polysynthetic, but they look like so.
Regards
_________________
Life is the shortest crystal |
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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| Posted: Jul 03, 2013 13:03 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Thanks Antonio ! Please, feel free to educate me about feldspar twinning, I don't know much about it.
Sincerely, Mike
| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
78mm x 31mm x 26mm
Rather large microcline crystal with odd termination. Self-collected. |
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| Viewed: |
24903 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
78mm x 31mm x 26mm
Same specimen as above |
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| Viewed: |
24914 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Microcline
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
78mm x 31mm x 26mm
Same specimen as above showing termination detail |
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| Viewed: |
24902 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
75mm x 40mm x 33mm
Nice sturdy smoky quartz crystal; the termination is a little chewed up (as found) probably from ice-action in the cavity where it originated from. The crystal had actually 'migrated' a short distance from the cavity and was wedged in a crevice. The crystal colour has lightened on one side due to exposure to the sky - best seen in the third photo. Self-collected. |
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| Viewed: |
24940 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
75mm x 40mm x 33mm
Same specimen as above |
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| Viewed: |
24922 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
Smoky Quartz
Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK
75mm x 40mm x 33mm
Same specimen as above, showing lessening of depth of colour on right side, due to UV light exposure. |
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| Viewed: |
24915 Time(s) |
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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| Posted: Jul 06, 2013 11:30 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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I've got a feeling I've been calling these feldspar crystals orthoclase instead of microcline. Now I'm confused. It's a pretty poor state when a field-collector doesn't know what he's collected. I'm sorry about this; maybe I should change all my captions on the 'orthoclase' feldspars.
In the meantime, I'll post a few more photo's of things that aren't minerals from Arran, but are hazardous.. and from Arran.
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| Cioch na h-Oighe (661m) viewed from Glen Sannox. Around the edge of Arran nearer sea-level the scenery is quite verdant and lush in the summer, but the summer months have added hazards. For example, this photo was taken in July, so it is quite likely there are millions of midges in the trees and undergrowth. They are everywhere if there is little wind and the weather is damp, even on the mountain tops. Sure, you can use DEET on yourself which stops 'em biting, but they still land on you briefly and they tickle. They don't like strong sunlight, thankfully. They don't like cold weather 12C or below. Midge season is usually mid-may to early october. |
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24801 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
| A large deer tick on the prowl. This one was about 4mm long (body) and the red part on it's abdomen indicates that it is mature and has fed on some thing. Mostly they are a bit smaller and can be very hard to spot when they are <1mm. They hang around in long vegetation (grass, heather, bracken, trees) and wait for prey to walk past. They have caused serious infection in some parts of the UK in the form of Lyme Disease. I've been getting bit by these suckers for twenty years or more but I'm still ok (I think). Tick season - probably april to october. |
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24749 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
| Horseflies, also known as Clegs, are nasty. They have a somewhat 'furry' appearance, sort of dusty-grey colour. You can't hear them flying. You can't feel them land. If you're quick and recognise the sensation you can swipe them off you just as they start to bite; then the bite will only itch a little ! Unlike midges these things are active in bright sunshine. They are about during the months of July and August when it's warm. It's best to keep moving when these are around, and keep an eye on them but they are very distracting. They are mainly living in the valleys; it is usual to have several following you as you walk. And they can bite through thin clothing !! |
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24733 Time(s) |
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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| Posted: Jul 06, 2013 12:09 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Mike,
As always, great pictures of minerals and stunning landscapes. The bugs I could do without!
Bob
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4897
Location: Barcelona
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| Posted: Jul 06, 2013 13:48 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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| Mike Wood wrote: | | I've got a feeling I've been calling these feldspar crystals orthoclase instead of microcline.... ....maybe I should change all my captions on the 'orthoclase' feldspars... |
Done
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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| Posted: Jul 06, 2013 18:02 Post subject: Re: Collection of Mike Wood |
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Thank you Jordi for correcting my mistakes.
Thanks Bob !
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