FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Mark Ost]

Here is photo of a recent acquisition in the case that I am constructing for it. The case is top and bottom lit with three light levels that can be selected. The picture was taken in the shop with available lighting as the tint shows.

[Mark Ost]

This give you some idea of the grain in the birds eye maple I used for the quartz cabinet, Much better in real life.

[Mark Ost]

Detail micro photograph of an interesting Aegirine and Astrophyllite inclusion in quartz. Orginal image in bitmap. 5 megapixel Steindorf CCD camera mounted on Steindorf binocular boom microscope.

[Mark Ost]

Baryte and Marcasite on a base of buninga wood with flush formed cherry legs. The shot was taken in long wave ultraviolet light, 40 watts.

[keldjarn]

Hello Mark,

Interesting photos. How do you know the dark inclusions with astrophyllite in quartz from Zagi Mnts. are schorl and not aegirine ?

Knut

[Jordi Fabre]

[keldjarn]

Jordi,

the Zagi Mnt. occurences are in an alkaline environment. Schorl is not listed from the locality in Mindat and as a member of the Management group I like to contribute to update the mineral lists. Therefore I was interested in the identity. In alkaline localities Aegirine is an endemic mineral and a much more common mineral than Schorl which is more typically found in ordinary granites and granite pegmatites. From the picture I would guess the inclusions are Aegirine.

Knut

[Jordi Fabre]

OK Knut, thanks.

Mark, do you want I change "Schorl" to "Aegirine" in your captions?

[Mark Ost]

Hi Jordi
Don't know if you got my reply. But let us change the identification.

[Jordi Fabre]

[Tracy]

You might want to check for Schorl throughout the text, it appears at least once in the postings I just looked at (even though the photo description says aegirine; see March 19 19:03 post).

- Tracy

[Jordi Fabre]

[Mark Ost]

Hi Knut

Thanks for the help. I was not previously aware of this type of pyroxene. It seems to occur with astrophyllite associated so your identification is quite likely. The description sure matches the inclusion in the quartz. Excellent eyes. Thanks again.

[Mark Ost]

Here is a picture of fluorapatite nested with aquamarine on a matrix of muscovite. The fluorapatite is fluorescent in all three wave lengths. Best in SW. Fluorescent light is polarized. Yellow/orange fluorescence.

[Mark Ost]

Baryte and Cerussite crystals. Morocco. Cerussite fluorescent in MW Yellow/ Green