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[nurbo]

Sure, here are some more photos of it, I got this from a supplier in Germany, the label simply said Ojuela. Durango, I'd be really grateful for any more precise info on that.

[nurbo]

While were at it ...

[Ed Huskinson]

Yup. It's hemimorphite from Mina Ojuela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico. A good look at the matrix supplies the proof thereof. So the dealer had it right, just took a bit of a short cut in his labelling. When I see this material I wonder what it must be like to collect there. The gossan is so delicate that I envision just being able to break it apart with one's bare hands, maybe a big screwdriver or prybar. No hammering involved, that's for sure. The fluted gossan matrix at Santa Eulalia is so delicate that I think you could probably plunge your arm right into it up to the elbow with little resistance. But you'd want to wear gloves, of course.

DSCR7547 is an adamite. There's a small crystal toward the bottom of your photograph that is diagnostic, in that it shows the orthorhombic nature of the crystals. The other larger ones could be misinterpreted as being octahedral faces at first glance. I'm thinking this is going to fluoresce under SW UV, big time. Most of the adamites really light up under SW, although coatings (and/or possible reaction rims?) can mask the reaction to UV light.

Nice torbernite! I really like the zoning. Its a direct reflection of the changing chemistry of the ore-forming solution(s). Nice. I've never seen it before in torbernite, so this is a new one for me. Thanks for sharing.

I envy you your photographic abilities. Just can't quite get the hang of it myself. Keep sending stuff, we all like it.

[nurbo]

Cheers ed,
One thing is for sure mining in thist Gossan matrix must be one of the messiest jobs there is, it leaves red and black stains everywhere, I figured the black stuff was Goethite or Chalcocite, its like big grains of soot. easy enough to wash off though.
Regarding my photographic abilities I have this digital camera with a "Super macro" button, you put whatever it is you want to photograph 1 cm away from the lense hit the button and it autofocuses and takes fairly ok shots, I think the photos lack crispness onthe edges but for a few hundred pounds it enables me to take pictures of small areas really easily, I think I already said but its a Fuji finepix s 9500, they seem to only cost about $350 now, a good investment, only issue is the lense is factory fitted, I dinged the lense photographing Phenakite (You can see the ding in some of my photos) and discovered you have to send it to the factory to get it repaired, you cant even take the lense off. On the whole its a great camera if your photographic skills are limited.
Ive added other pics of the Torbernite, it came wrapped in cotton wool and Im struggling to get all the fibres off.
b

[nurbo]

Here are some more

[nurbo]

A few more, The first one I collected on my way home today, all along the sea front near my house several thousand tonnes of large limestone boulders have been placed to aid the sea defences, they are in places filled with calcite and Baryte, I was able to pull this piece off. Ive been banned from bringing more than one piece a day home for fear of overfilling the house. There is a large brown dogtooth calcite filled vug Id dearly love to cut out and bring home, I'll photograph it next time Im passing.

If anyone can help with the locality of the yellow Fluorite Id be grateful, I have more photos if needed,

Thanks in advance

[Ed Huskinson]

I don't know Nurbo. I'm thinking Hammam Zriba for the yellow fluorite. You'll have to check the spelling, and I'm not 100% sure on the location, but If I had to choose or die, I'd go with Hammam.

And that's about all that I can help with. The gypsum "rose" is beautiful, and we get things very similar in Chihuahua, Mexico. But the Moroccan locality for these things eludes me at present.

I too bought a Boji stone. Only for the humor value. The seller was not impressed with what my friends and I had to say about them. Mine is from Utah.
However, the metaphysicists are good customers, so it pays to cultivate them. Just remember the standard answer to their questions "Ah yes, that one. It's loaded with alpha energy". Works every time.

The way things wound up at my house is that I carried so many rocks home that I completely filled up the front yard. So we had to move. Despite the mandate not to bring home any more "yard rocks" home to the new house, I've begun to line the interior of the yard, all around, next to the wall. So far so good.

Thanks,

Ed

[Jordi Fabre]

Nurbo,

I agree with Ed, for me too the yellow Fluorite could be from El Hammam, Meknès, Morocco.

Jordi

[nurbo]

Thanks for that,
I got this mint green one from the same supplier who only had the two, they were both labelled "Morocco" so probably from the same locality, maybe this will give further clues, Ive added a close up shot to show the tiny quartz crystals it is coated in.

I also took a photo of the dogtooth calcite I mentioned earlier, it just sits there on the seafront, it taunts me, Im tempted to carry out a bit of guerrilla minerology and go and cut it off the rock and take it home.

[Jordi Fabre]

Both Fluorite are from El Hammam, and the coating mineral is not Chalcopyrite but Goethite.

Jordi

[nurbo]

Thanks very much Jordi, I honestly didnt know goethite could be seen in this state, Ive only ever seen the black sooty stuff.
I love this forum Ive learned so much since Ive been a member here, Ive been able to correct lots of mislabelled specimens and never been made to feel foolish for my perpetual errors in identification. FMF I applaud what you do, a superb resource for amateur's like myself and a wonderful repository for all things minerological.
Here is a Phenakite on microcline matrix there is a tiny Petalite crystal on the back of it as well, quite an unusual combination.

[nurbo]

Ive been puzzing for a while how your magic eye can tell that is Goethite on the Yellow Fluorite specimen Jordi (Or anyone else come to that)? Ive looked at books and mindat etc but I cant see the difference, is it due to the locality or am I missing something.
Thanks in advance.

[Jordi Fabre]

Nurbo,

Yes, it is by mi experience with this deposit. Of course I can't be sure just with one photo, but as far as I can see, it looks to me as Goethite.

I added one (bad, I'm sorry) image of one Goethite from El Hamman. As you can see, they looks like blackish balls, but in this case you can see its internal structure due the fact that the balls are fractured. Please watch at your specimen if you can find some broken or fractured ball to see if they have an internal radiate structure, then for sure it would be Goethite. If not, and its color is yellowish and not blackish, then probably it will be Pyrite or Chalcopyrite.

Jordi

[nurbo]

Hello
Once again I stand corrected by you Jordi, I found a broken spherule and under 100x magnification you can see radial sprays, I also found a few under 1mm orange what look like cubic habit crystals in a tiny Goethite lined vug, I will try and figure a way of getting the camera in there and photographing them. On the subjest of photographs heres a couple of new aquisitions ...
First up is a gemmy Zircon from burma
Second a very unusual Phenakite with the oddest termination (Twin?) Ive ever seen.
Third a bi-coloured "Mushroom tourmaline from Burma with a shiny termination, also a bit unusual
Finally a Jeremejevite with similarly orientated what look like Schorl crystals.

[Ed Huskinson]

Sorry man, hate to burst your bubble. The "jeremejevite" looks like one of the Erongo beryls. The schorls are a dead giveaway, as is the pinacoidal termination.

Check it again.

The other things are so cool, 'specially the Burmese elbaite.

Ed