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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 1512
Location: Oklahoma
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 Posted: Dec 18, 2014 11:23 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Todays offering consists of three specimens from Japan - a country that I wish was better represented in my collection.
| Mineral: | Stibnite |
| Locality: | | Ichinokawa Mine, Saijo, Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku Island, Japan |  |
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| Dimensions: | 1.5 x 7.3 cm |
| Description: |
| Slender metallic stibnite crystal with a small accessory crystal. The crystal exhibits typical longitudinal striations and two areas of natural bending. |
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| Viewed: |
21614 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Orthoclase |
| Locality: | | Takatama Mine, Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, Tohoku Region, Honshu Island, Japan | |
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| Dimensions: | 4.9 x 7.8 cm |
| Description: |
| Cream-colored, semi-lustrous, orthoclase crystal set on a thin matrix of smaller crystallized orthoclase. The main crystal measures 6.7 cm long and is a Baveno twin. |
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21585 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Axinite-(Fe) |
| Locality: | | Toroku Mine, Takachiho, Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu Region, Japan | |
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| Dimensions: | 4.0 x 6.0 cm |
| Description: |
| Lustrous loose brown ferroaxinite crystals in parallel growth. |
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| Viewed: |
21597 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 1512
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Dec 20, 2014 13:03 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Three Montana calcites.
| Mineral: | Calcite |
| Locality: | | Alzada, Carter County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 6.1 x 6.6 cm |
| Description: |
| Translucent, orange calcite stalactites on a small piece of gray limestone. |
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| Viewed: |
21541 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Calcite |
| Locality: | | North Home Mine, Radersburg District, Broadwater County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 3.5 x 5.1 cm |
| Description: |
| Sculptural stalactitic growth of white to pale tan calcite. Collected by Chris Tucker. |
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| Viewed: |
21520 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Calcite |
| Locality: | | Red Cliff Camp, Gallatin County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 4.3 x 5.5 cm |
| Description: |
| Honey-colored scalenohedral calcite on a light gray dolomitic matrix coated with smaller calcite crystals. |
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| Viewed: |
21551 Time(s) |
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Vitaliy
Joined: 30 Nov 2014
Posts: 52
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| Posted: Dec 20, 2014 21:32 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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| I like the first and third calcite in particular. The third is very similar to Elmwood Mine Calcite. Apparently the rumor with the first calcite was that the collector who collected these never disclosed the exact location.
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Tobi
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 3219
Location: Good Old Germany
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| Posted: Dec 21, 2014 03:09 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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| Really cool orange stalagmite specimen ... or maybe stalactite. Did it grow this way or the other way round? If you don't know, you'll never know for sure whether you have a stalactite or a stalagmite specimen ;-)
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 1512
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Dec 21, 2014 09:43 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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| Tobi wrote: | | Really cool orange stalagmite specimen ... or maybe stalactite. Did it grow this way or the other way round? If you don't know, you'll never know for sure whether you have a stalactite or a stalagmite specimen ;-) |
Thanks Vitaliy and Tobi,
As to what orientation the specimen grew in - I don't know, so it could be either. In any case, I think we can use the term stalactitic to describe the general growth habit.
Michael
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 1512
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Dec 22, 2014 18:12 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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More from Montana.
| Mineral: | Barite |
| Locality: | | Pack Rat Mine, Pryor Mountains, Carbon County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 4.6 x 8.2 cm |
| Description: |
| Tightly packed, caramel-colored, bladed Baryte crystals to 1.8 cm on edge. Collected by Chris Tucker in 1998. |
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| Viewed: |
21388 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Hemimorphite |
| Locality: | | Summit Mine, Radersburg District, Broadwater County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 3.1 x 3.7 cm |
| Description: |
| Colorless bladed crystals of hemimorphite to 1.9 cm partially coated with milky white calcite. |
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| Viewed: |
21333 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Vanadinite |
| Locality: | | North Home Mine, Radersburg District, Broadwater County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 7.5 x 8.0 cm |
| Description: |
| A solid mass of lustrous chocolate brown vanadinite crystals. The crystals are slightly curved and have hoppered terminations. Collected by Chris Tucker from the Thanksgiving Pocket Extension in Fall 2007. |
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| Viewed: |
21333 Time(s) |
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Martin Rich
Joined: 15 Aug 2013
Posts: 127
Location: Lower Austria
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| Posted: Dec 22, 2014 22:17 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Hello Michael!
As a lover of calcite, I like this orange, stalactitic calcite from Montana.
Perfect samples & photos as usual.
Martin
_________________
We are living on the matrix. |
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 1512
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Dec 23, 2014 17:53 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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| Martin Rich wrote: | Hello Michael!
As a lover of calcite, I like this orange, stalactitic calcite from Montana.
Perfect samples & photos as usual.
Martin |
Thanks Martin. I am a big fan of calcite as well.
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 1512
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Dec 24, 2014 11:37 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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More from Big Sky country.
The last two specimens are from Butte, one of the most famous copper mining districts in the U.S. At least 489 mines existed at one time or another in Butte. Many were situated right amongst homes in residential parts of town. Buttes mines were the source of great fortunes for men like William A. Clark, Marcus Daly, and F. Augustus Heinze, who were known as the "Copper Kings" and disaster for the over 2,500 miners who lost their lives in the mines. A total of 130 mineral species are documented from the district and specimens of covellite, enargite, colusite, djurleite, and digenite rank among the world's best. Today, over a dozen well-maintained mine headframes still stand over their shafts, and Butte has done a wonderful job in preserving the history of this notorious boomtown.
| Mineral: | Corundum |
| Locality: | | Bozeman Corundum Co. Mine, Gallatin Gateway, Gallatin County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 6.0 x 7.8 cm |
| Description: |
| Six blue-gray doubly terminated corundum crystals in a feldspar/biotite matrix. This piece came from the collection of John Sinkankas. On his catalog card he notes that he acquired it from the Devereaux Collection in 1968. |
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| Viewed: |
21202 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Enargite |
| Locality: | | Leonard Mine, Butte, Butte District, Silver Bow County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 3.3 x 3.4 cm |
| Description: |
| Metallic black enargite crystals to 1.4 cm with striated prism faces and sharp terminations. |
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| Viewed: |
21172 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Covellite |
| Locality: | | East Colusa Mine, (Berkeley Pit), Butte, Butte District, Silver Bow County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 4.8 x 6.9 cm |
| Description: |
| Crystallized mass of bladed irridescent blue and purple covellite with a small amount of pyrite and quartz. The East Colusa Mine, the Leonard Mine, and several other's were consumed by Anaconda's Berkeley Pit shown in the next image. |
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| Viewed: |
21172 Time(s) |
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| Locality: | | Berkeley Pit, Butte, Butte District, Silver Bow County, Montana, USA | |
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| Description: |
| The Berkeley Pit was opened in 1955 and closed in 1982. It is 1,780 feet deep and is filled to a depth of 975 feet with acidic water. |
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| Viewed: |
21245 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 1512
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Dec 26, 2014 12:08 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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I'll finish up Montana today with a few more pieces from Butte.
| Mineral: | Covellite |
| Locality: | | Leonard Mine, Butte, Butte District, Silver Bow County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 6.2 x 6.7 cm. |
| Description: |
| Iridescent laminar blue covellite associated with pyrite and quartz. I acquired this piece about 25 years ago from a collector who told me that it had been in his collection for many years and that he had originally obtained the specimen from Ed McDole. |
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| Viewed: |
21068 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Covellite |
| Locality: | | Leonard Mine, Butte, Butte District, Silver Bow County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 2.6 x 4.1 cm |
| Description: |
| Intergrown bladed crystals of covellite with a rich blue and purple irridescence on pyrite matrix. |
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| Viewed: |
21094 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Rhodochrosite |
| Locality: | | Emma Mine, Butte, Butte District, Silver Bow County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 4.6 x 6.5 cm |
| Description: |
| Pink rhombs of rhodochrosite associated with milky quartz crystals and small chalcopyrite crystals. |
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| Viewed: |
21092 Time(s) |
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Tobi
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 3219
Location: Good Old Germany
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| Posted: Dec 26, 2014 12:30 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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| Very nice rhodochrosite specimen!
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 1512
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Dec 26, 2014 21:37 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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| Tobi wrote: | | Very nice rhodochrosite specimen! |
Thanks Tobi. After many years of looking, I finally found this piece last year and I was very happy to be able to add it to my collection.
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 1512
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Dec 27, 2014 12:32 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Before leaving Butte behind, I decided to include a few more photos of some of the well-preserved mining history in this famous district. For those of you that are as interested in mining history as I am, it is well worth spending some time there. Driving streets named Copper, Galena, Porphyry, Quartz, and Mercury while viewing the various mining properties, one can get a sense of what Butte must have been like during its heyday.
I'll start off with the only other specimen that I have from Butte. This piece isn't necessarily much to look at, but was one of the very first minerals in my collection, dating to 1959. Aside from having some sentimental value because of the person that gave it to me, I think it illustrates that Butte was not only a copper mining district, but was also a very important producer of manganese. In fact, during WW II, the mines at Buttes were responsible for 98% of the U.S. manganese production. My specimen is most likely from the Emma or Travona mines, both of which closed in the mid to late 1950s.
Lastly, I'll close with a fine specimen of digenite on display in the mineral museum at Montana Tech. The museum has about 1,000 specimens on display including some very fine specimens from the mines at Butte. Admission is free, so there is no reason not to spend a little time viewing their collection.
| Mineral: | Rhodochrosite |
| Locality: | | Butte, Butte District, Silver Bow County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 5.6 x 7.0 cm |
| Description: |
| Massive rhodochrosite with a polished surface on one side. The face is dotted with small cavities that are filled with sharp rhombs of rhodchrosite. The Emma and Travona mines were both originally staked as silver claims, but became more important as prolific producers of massive rhodochrosite that was processed for manganese. |
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| Viewed: |
20926 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
| The Steward Mine was staked in 1877 and operated until 1975. A total of 79 men lost their lives in the Steward during it 98 years of operation. The main shaft was 3,900 feet deep and was one of the richest copper/silver mines in the district. It produced fine specimens of Baryte, bornite, and tennantite. |
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| Viewed: |
20962 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
| The Mountain Consolidated, or Mt. Con, was the deepest mine at Butte. The main shaft was 5,380 feet deep, and because of its depth, it was a very hot mine to work in. It produced excellent specimens of bornite chalcocite, enargite, and pyrite. |
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| Viewed: |
20943 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
| The Granite Mountain-Speculator mine was the site of one of the worst underground mine disasters in the U.S. On June 8, 1917, a crew inspecting an electrical cable, accidentally started a fire with a carbide lamp, resulting in the loss of 167 lives. |
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| Viewed: |
20974 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
| The Diamond Bell was the first mine in Butte to have a steel headframe erected in 1898. Steel headframes were often disassembled and moved to a new mine when the original site was no longer productive. |
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| Viewed: |
20945 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Digenite |
| Locality: | | Leonard Mine, Butte, Butte District, Silver Bow County, Montana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | Appox. 6.0 cm across |
| Description: |
| This specimen of digenite was displayed in the American Mineral Treasures Exhibit at the 2008 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. |
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| Viewed: |
20926 Time(s) |
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Don Lum
Joined: 03 Sep 2012
Posts: 2250
Location: Arkansas
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| Posted: Dec 27, 2014 14:19 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Beautiful rhodochrosite from the Emma Mine.
_________________
hogwild |
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 1512
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Dec 28, 2014 10:01 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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| Don Lum wrote: | | Beautiful rhodochrosite from the Emma Mine. |
Thank you Don. I was thrilled to have found it.
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Vitaliy
Joined: 30 Nov 2014
Posts: 52
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| Posted: Dec 28, 2014 13:49 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Interesting Emma mine Rhodochrosite. I have a similar specimen from the Butte District (likely Emma mine) and it has more of an Argentinian appearance to it.
I like the Covellite's though. They are hard to get these days on the market especially from mines such as the Leonard Mine.
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 1512
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Dec 29, 2014 15:36 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Thanks Vitaliy. Why don't you post a photo of your Butte rhodochrosite. I'd be interested in seeing it.
For the next few posts, I'll move one state west of Montana and show some specimens from several locations in Idaho.
| Mineral: | Ilvaite |
| Locality: | | Laxey Mine, South Mountain District, Owyhee County, Idaho, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 2.5 x 3 cm |
| Description: |
| Sharply-terminated, lustrous, black ilvaite crystals associated with minor quartz. Ex. Dr. Fred H. Pough Collection ( |
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| Viewed: |
20719 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Almandine |
| Locality: | | Emerald Creek, Clarkia, Latah County, Idaho, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 2.5 x 3.0 cm |
| Description: |
| A single, dark red dodecahedron with trapezohedral edge modifications. Ex. Philadelphia Academy of Sciences Coll. |
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| Viewed: |
20711 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Heulandite |
| Locality: | | Rat's Nest Claim, Challis, Bay Horse District, Custer County, Idaho, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 7.0 x 9.0 cm |
| Description: |
| Groups of fan-shaped, peach to salmon-colored, crystals lying on a bed of white mordenite on altered andesite. Collected by Lanny Ream and John Cornish in summer 2002. |
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| Viewed: |
20717 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 1512
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Jan 02, 2015 12:26 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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More from Idaho.
| Mineral: | Heulandite |
| Locality: | | Rat's Nest Claim, Challis, Bay Horse District, Custer County, Idaho, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 7.0 x 7.8 cm |
| Description: |
| Pale peach-colored heulandite crystals lying on a bed of white mordenite on altered andesite. |
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| Viewed: |
20546 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Heulandite |
| Locality: | | Rat's Nest Claim, Challis, Bay Horse District, Custer County, Idaho, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 1.8 x 2.4 cm |
| Description: |
| Groups of fan-shaped pink heaulandite on a bed of white mordenite. |
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| Viewed: |
20527 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Cerussite |
| Locality: | | Monarch Mine, Prichard Creek, Shoshone County, Idaho, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 1.6 x 1.8 cm |
| Description: |
| Colorless glassy twinned cerussite crystals on a brown gossan matrix. |
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| Viewed: |
20524 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 1512
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Jan 05, 2015 10:26 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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More from Idaho - the Bunker Hill Mine.
| Mineral: | Pyromorphite |
| Locality: | | Bunker Hill Mine, Bunker Hill properties, Kellogg, Coeur d'Alene District, Shoshone County, Idaho, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 2.0 x 2.2 cm |
| Description: |
| Barrel-shaped crystals of lustrous green pyromorphite. |
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| Viewed: |
20367 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Cerussite |
| Locality: | | Bunker Hill Mine, Bunker Hill properties, Kellogg, Coeur d'Alene District, Shoshone County, Idaho, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 1.5 x 2.0 cm |
| Description: |
| Glassy cyclic-twinned cerussite crystal. |
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| Viewed: |
20350 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Pyromorphite |
| Locality: | | Bunker Hill Mine, Jersey Vein, 9th level, Bunker Hill properties, Kellogg, Coeur d'Alene District, Shoshone County, Idaho, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 1.8 x 2.3 cm |
| Description: |
| Spiky crystals of arsenic-rich pyromorphite. |
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| Viewed: |
20351 Time(s) |
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Martin Rich
Joined: 15 Aug 2013
Posts: 127
Location: Lower Austria
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| Posted: Jan 06, 2015 22:21 Post subject: Re: Collection of Michael Shaw |
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Very nice specimen from the Bunker Hill Mine. Congratulations!
Martin
_________________
We are living on the matrix. |
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