Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH, Mineral Gallery                   Return to mindatnh front page.        
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This page is an alphabetical photo gallery of minerals from the Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, New Hampshire.   (A locality specific photo set from mindatnh.org)
These specimens came from a pencil box of Marcelle Weber material that Bob Wilken acquired in 2014. The date on the box: August 17, 1958.
Charlie and Marcelle Weber were founding members of the Micromounters of New England.
Fitzgibbon Mine examples of most of these species are uncommon in mineral collections and are rare in the photographic record for this locality.
12 species, 3 unknowns, 19 mineral photos
Highslide JS
ALLANITE    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
1.2 mm crystal group
Species:           ALLANITE  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 1.2 mm crystal group
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes: [bw] The luster is somewhat resinous.
Highslide JS
AUTUNITE    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
0.7 mm mass of xls filling out a vug the same size.
Species:           AUTUNITE  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 0.7 mm mass of xls filling out a vug the same size.
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes:
Highslide JS
CHALCOPYRITE    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
2.0 mm fov
Species:           CHALCOPYRITE  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 2.0 mm fov
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes: [bw] Of course would need testing to be sure. It's very golden for being freshly broken across and it contrasts with other sulphide that is more brassy. No xls, only masses.
Highslide JS
FAIRFIELDITE with Jahnsite    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
3.8 mm field of view
Species:           FAIRFIELDITE with Jahnsite  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 3.8 mm field of view
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes: [bw] Because the single Jahnsite xl of only 0.15 mm is on the white background, it looks pretty good. Didn't even notice it till I saw the photo!
Highslide JS
JAHNSITE with Beraunite    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
0.2 mm jahnsite xl
Species:           JAHNSITE with Beraunite  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 0.2 mm jahnsite xl
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes: [bw] Another tiny one but against a white background that made its form apparent...very different from whitmoreite. Another Jahnsite member, whiteite, could look somewhat like this but I tend to associate the deeper color with jahnsite. You can see other similar color scattered around.
Highslide JS
LAUEITE    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
0.4 mm-wide grouping of pale laueite xls.


Highslide JS
LAUEITE    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
0.4 mm-wide grouping of pale laueite xls.
Species:           LAUEITE  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm-wide grouping of pale laueite xls. Two views
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes: [bw] In top view I was trying to include all the little whitmorite balls in the upper left. Perhaps the pink mass in the lower photo, center left, is the strengite listed by Morrill?
Highslide JS
PYRITE    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
The major duet of crystals is 2.3 mm across.
Species:           PYRITE  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: The major duet of crystals is 2.3 mm across.
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes:
Highslide JS
ROCKBRIDGEITE    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
4.0 mm fov
Species:           ROCKBRIDGEITE  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 4.0 mm fov
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes: [bw] Rockbridgeite group radial, very reflective breakage.
Highslide JS
SCHORL    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
3.7 mm visible length
Species:           SCHORL  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 3.7 mm visible length
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes: [tm] Perhaps a relic of a partially disolved crystal.
Highslide JS
SCHORL    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
0.5 mm xl
Species:           SCHORL  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 0.5 mm xl
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes: [bw] A complete crystal that shows facets.
Highslide JS
STRUNZITE    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
1.5 mm fov
Species:           STRUNZITE  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm fov
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes:
Highslide JS
STRUNZITE    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
4 mm field of view
Species:           STRUNZITE  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 4 mm field of view
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes: [bw] On initial ID I thought this looked more like strunzite with whitmoreite. A very flat 2-D specimen. It's almost as if the triphylite altered in place. It's really not a vug and the whitmoreite sprays were flattened into minimal space.
Highslide JS
WHITMOREITE    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
1.4 mm fov
Species:           WHITMOREITE  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 1.4 mm fov
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes:
Highslide JS
WHITMOREITE    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
1.5 mm fov
Species:           WHITMOREITE  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm fov
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes: [bw] "Naval mine" (or, as close as I can get to a naval mine) is 0.2 mm. Pretty anemic milky looking composite spikes protruding from the base of the sphere only.
Highslide JS
ZIRCON    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
The xl to the right is 1.5 mm.
Species:           ZIRCON  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: The xl to the right is 1.5 mm.
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes:
Highslide JS
UNKNOWN    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
1.9 mm botryoidal mass in vug
Species:           UNKNOWN  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 1.9 mm botryoidal mass in vug
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes: Bob thought perhaps ferrisicklerite. [bw] I do think this is a phosphate. Probably because it looks dark brown, (ferrisicklerite is) the only one I could think of. If you inspect the "rind" closely where there is breakage around the vug it seems as if the material is made up of closely-packed flakes. The packed flakes could result in mounds that would give a botryoidal effect . The darker brown coating may be superficial oxidation or maybe just an epitaxial coating of something different.
Highslide JS
UNKNOWN    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
8 mm long
Species:           UNKNOWN  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 8 mm long
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes: [bw] I don't know what to make of this. There are two different things in this photo. One narrow void seems to be loosely packed pale yellowish material (some of it missing). Parallel and behind it is a larger and longer xl that is colorless and highly striated on the c axis. Could colorless tourmaline be floating in the middle of schorl? It could be a quartz replacement that has picked up striations from its neighbor.
Highslide JS
UNKNOWN    Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
3 mm fov.
Species:           UNKNOWN  
Locality:          Fitzgibbon Mine, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 3 mm fov.
Field Collected: Marcelle Weber
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes: [bw] Bright canary yellow pressed masses on schorl. Thought it could be just autunite but it doesn't show any platy quality. It's also a brighter yellow than I would expect of autunite.
Further testing has shown that it is not fluorescent and it is not water soluble.