FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[parfaitelumiere]

it seems that the "phenakit" crystal on the specimen looks like orthorhombic here.

[parfaitelumiere]

bad drawn...

[nurbo]

Ive had another very close look at this cluster with a 10x loupe and hidden away in its depths I did find some striations at 90 degree's to the termination this is Topaz, given the excellent other information given here I now have no doubts.
The following are Phenakites for sure

[John S. White]

Little beauties and phenakes for sure. Note that the transparent ones are wonderfully twinned. Parfaitelumiere, I really like what you did with the topaz, that was brilliant. Perfectly clear!

[nurbo]

This is actually a very timely topic for me and Im especially greatful to Parfaitelumiere for his excellent drawing. I received a truly awe inspiring pair of Phenakites on matrix as a christmas present and there are some other crystals present which i was trying to identify, I'm quite sure that the one in the photograph is a Topaz. The Phenakites are in pristine condition unfortunately the same cannot be said for the Topaz.

[nurbo]

Hello everyone, sorry for the long silence.
I thought Id post some pictures of my Calcite, It comes from Wales, Taffs Well Quarry is my suspicion but Im not absolutely sure. This specimen is so beautiful it takes my breath away everytime I look at it. It weighs slightly over 1.2 kilo's and measures 14 x 13 x 11 cm

[marvsT/Nminerals]

Nurbo, The "scales" on the outside of your crystal appear to be orientated rhombohedral calcite crystals that grew over the large inner crystal after the original mineral bearing fluids were interrupted then began again with a slightly different character. Yes, it is a really nice piece! Marv

[nurbo]

Thanks Marv that makes perfect sense.
heres a few more from my shelves.

[Jordi Fabre]

Nurbo,

Your second photo is not Jeremejevite but Quartz with inclusions of something, maybe some member of the group of Tourmaline or Epidote. Do you want that I delete this photo?

[nurbo]

Just relabel it if you dont mind. It came from a flat of Jeremejevite that I bought so I assumed that is what it was. Im really grateful to everyone at this forum who spots these mislabelled items and Im always happy to be corrected when someone knows something I dont.

[Jordi Fabre]

Done

[nurbo]

Thanks Jordi, I really must stop assuming that because a thing comes labelled that the label is correct. I've checked the rest of the flat and they make it really obvious that the one in question is quartz.

[nurbo]

Some more of my collection and a favourite collecting site.

[Singingstone48]

This specimen is most likely from the Santa Eulalia District in Chihuahua, Mexico. Peter M. might be able to tell you which mine or camp it came from. We have seen similar specimens here in Houston for the last 25 years. They used to be common in the flea markets and we see them in older collections all the time. This is a nice group, good size and aesthetic.

[Singingstone48]

On the apophyllite on stilbite, the locality is a cavity in a water well in one of the small towns in Maharashtra, India. I don't remember the specific locality and I'm not home to check my specimen, but there was an article by the Indian dealer Makki in Rocks and Minerals in the last year or so that talked about this location specifically. By the way, some of the apophyllite crystals are cleaved, since all terminations from this locality are pointed. This is common on most of the specimens I've seen.