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[Leon56]

SPHALERITE

Size: 58 x 35 x 35 mm.
Weight: 63grams

Location: Shuikoushan, Hunan Prov, China.

This is a very handsome specimen of red sphalerites on (and in) radiating quartz from Shuikoushan (probably the Kangjiawan Pb-Zn-Ag-Au deposit), Hengyang, in the Hunan Province of China. There's also black zones in some of them. Also, there's a couple of pockets of tiny white calcite rhombs. Interspersed among the quartz are numerous "nailhead calcites".

Color is typically black but can be brown, yellow, reddish, green, and less commonly white or colorless.

[Leon56]

Sphalerite

Locality: Elmwood Mine, Carthage, Smith Co., Tennessee

Specimen Size: 6.0 x 3.5 x 3.5 cm (small cabinet)

[Leon56]

THE MINERAL APOPHYLLITE

Hydrated Potassium Calcium Sodium Silicate Fluoride Hydroxide. Apophyllite, whose name roughly means "to leaf apart" in Greek, is a mineral classic. It was given its name because crystals tend to peel or flake apart when they are heated due to the loss of water molecules.

In the next photos are presentate Apophyllite with 3 different minerals:

1 = Apophyllite with Heulandite
Locality: Nasik, India
Specimen Size: 6.5 x 4.0 x 2.7 cm (small cabinet)

2 = Apophyllite with Stilbite and Laumontite
Locality: Nasik, India
Specimen Size: 7.1 x 5.2 x 4.2 cm (small cabinet)
Largest Crystal: 2.6 cm

3 = Apophyllite & Stilbite
Aurangabad District, Maharashtra, India
Gemmy green Apophyllite and white Stilbite forming a classic association specimen from India.
Specimen size : 6 x 6 x 2 cm. Crystal size : 1.5 cm.

[Leon56]

[Leon56]

[Leon56]

Apophyllite gems on Chalcedony

Source: Jalgaon, Maharashtra India

Jalgaon is a city in western India, to the north of the Maharashtra state in Jalgaon District, which itself is located on the northern Deccan Plateau.

Coral-like chalcedony spire, draped with garlands of brilliantly transparent, doubly terminated Apophyllites.

Size: 3,5 x 4,7 x 4,5 cm.

[Leon56]

Fluorite

Locality: St. Christoph am Arlberg, Tirol, Austria (St Christoph am Arlberg, Stanz valley, North Tyrol)

Imported from the USA:
Cooke Collection, (The Donald R. Cooke Mineral Collection, May 24, 1934-May 25, 1998 New York).

Size: Sm. Cabinet
Overall: 7 x 5 x 3 cm

Light purple, very translucent and zoned purple fluorite with very little damage - very clean and aesthetic specimen. The largest cube measures 2cm along the edge.

[Leon56]

MIMETITE

Mina Ojuela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico
Chemical Formula: Pb5(AsO4)3Cl

Size: Sm Cabinet
Overall: 6 x 4 x 3 cm

Yellow micro crystals covering most of matrix. Appears botryoidal but is not. These came out maybe 3 or 4 years ago.
Botryoidal: A botryoidal texture or mineral habit is one in which the mineral has a globular external form resembling a bunch of grapes.

Interesting:
Mimetite forms a chemical series with two other minerals: Pyromorphite and Vanadinite. Green Mimetite or yellow Pyromorphite can make identification between the two difficult, but usually pyromorphite is green and mimetite is yellow. Vanadinite is usually red.

[Leon56]

Topaz

Source: Gao Li Gongshan, Wenshan, Yunnan Province, China

Size: 6 x 5 x 3,5 cm

My comment:
I am a great fan of topaz minerals. It is obvious from the picture that the shown topaz is partly a glossy crystal while the other part is not such. I hope that it may become glossy all over by exposure to light.

[Edelmin]

[Leon56]

Hello Edelmin,

maybe you are right, however if it remains as it is the mineral looks very nice!

[Leon56]

Beryl var. Emerald on calcite matrix

Location: Emerald Mines in Muzo, Colombia
The Muso emerald deposits are situated in the western foothills of the eastern branch of the Colombian Andes and are distant about 96 km.1 (60 miles ±) in a direct northwesterly line from Bogotá, the capital of Colombia

Specimen size: 7 x 5 x 6 cm
Crystal size: 10 x 8 mm, 12 x 5 mm
Year: 2007

By this all representatives of the main beryl groups are now in my collection and are presented at the forum as well.

[Leon56]

VANADINITE CRYSTALS ON BLACK & WHITE BARITE

Locality: Mibladene, Meknès-Tafilalet Region, Morocco

Size: 6,5 x 6 x 5,5 cm

Text and photo by Leon56 - All Rights Reserved

[Leon56]

Rhodochrosite, Pyrite, Calcite

Stari trg, Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo.
Size: 6,5 x 3 x 4,5 cm

[Leon56]

CALCITE FROM TENNESSEE, USA

Locality: Elmwood mine, Carthage, Central Tennessee District, Smith County, Tennessee, USA

Specimen Size: 5.8 x 4.8 x 2.6 cm (small)
Specimen Size: 8,5 x 7,5 x 4 cm (big)

Calcite crystals from the Elmwood mine, Tennessee, USA are probably among of the most beautiful calcite crystals in the world, which is evident from the pictures. Both items were not obtained from the same dealer. The smaller one was purchased via internet, while the bigger one was obtained from a private vendor. The latter has a special home made supporting base composed of rubber covered aluminium foil.

Curiosity
Calcite is one of the most interesting mineral species for collectors. The fact is that calcite crystallizes into over 1200 different crystal forms and is often combined with other minerals. It may be colored differently due to the presence of various trace elements.

Text and photo by Leon56 - All Rights Reserved

[Leon56]

PYRITE, GALENA

Pyrite is one of the most common sulphide minerals. This mineral is indispensable in each collection.
It is produced in a very broad range of temperature and pressure. Especially significant is the occurrence of hydrothermal phase when it is together with galena, sphalerite and quartz. It often occurs in the sediment for which formation a reductive environment is necessary.
It consists of iron pyrite (46.55 %) and sulphur (53.45 %). It usually does not have other admixtures, which is especially important when it is used as feedstock for the production of sulphur or sulphuric acid.


Pyrite 1
Source: Unknown source
Size: 4,5 x 4 x 4 cm

Pyrite 2
Source: Rio Mine (Rio Marina Mine), Rio Marina, Elba Island, Livorno Province, Tuscany, Italy
Size: 5 x 4 x 4 cm

Pyrite 3
Source: 9th September Mine, Madan, Bulgaria
Size: 7.5 x 4.5 x 3.1 cm

Calcite on quartz and pyrite
Source: Trepča, Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo
Size: 9 x 6.5 x 4.2 cm

Galena
Source: Gidiursko Mine, Madan, Bulgaria
Size: 5 x 3.3 x 2.8 cm

[Antonio Alcaide]

Hi Leon,

Ambasaguas is a well known locality here in Spain. We have doubts about the pyrite nº 1 that you have posted. It does not look like a pyrite from that locality. Could you provide another picture of it, so we can help you with a correct identification?

Thanks in advance.

Regards

[Leon56]

Hello Antonio

This mineral was bought in Greece (Patmos island) in the market place where I was told that it originated from Spain. I did not receive any original documentation about this mineral. Maybe it really is from Greece?

I am very happy about your remark and advice.

Many thanks
Leon56

PS
I kindly ask the moderator, to change the data source by the mineral nr. 1 to "Unknown source".

[Carles Millan]

[Antonio Alcaide]

Thanks, Leon56, for your understanding.

Well, it is very difficult to know the exact locality for an unknown pyrite because it is a very common species as you know perfectly.

In this case, taking into account the matrix of massive pyrite, my educated guess is that it could come from Elba too. I have a very similar sample. But there are many other possibilities.

Regards