Fitzgibbons Mine, Alstead, NH, Mineral Gallery
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This page is an alphabetical photo gallery of minerals from the Fitzgibbons 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. Fitzgibbons 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. See also: Mindat.org locality link Deed research by Fred Davis, 2014, indicates: The "Fitzgibbon Mine" appears to be named for the company that owned the lease between 1941 and 1962. Over that period, the company names were Fitzgibbons Mica & Mining Company (1941-42), Fitzgibbons Mining Corporation (1943), and Fitzgibbons Mineral Company (1957, 1962). The name was always referred to as "Fitzgibbons," not "Fitzgibbon," so the preferred spelling would be "Fitzgibbons" and an alternate spelling "Fitzgibbon." This information can be found in the records of the Cheshire County (New Hampshire) Registry of Deeds. | |
Species: ALLANITE Locality: Fitzgibbons 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. |
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Species: AUTUNITE Locality: Fitzgibbons 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: |
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Species: CHALCOPYRITE Locality: Fitzgibbons 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. |
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Species: FAIRFIELDITE with Jahnsite Locality: Fitzgibbons 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! |
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Species: JAHNSITE with Beraunite Locality: Fitzgibbons 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. |
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Species: LAUEITE Locality: Fitzgibbons 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? |
Species: PYRITE Locality: Fitzgibbons 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: |
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Species: ROCKBRIDGEITE Locality: Fitzgibbons 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. |
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Species: SCHORL Locality: Fitzgibbons 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. |
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Species: SCHORL Locality: Fitzgibbons 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. |
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Species: STRUNZITE Locality: Fitzgibbons Mine, Alstead, NH Specimen Size: 1.5 mm fov Field Collected: Marcelle Weber Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen Notes: |
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Species: STRUNZITE Locality: Fitzgibbons 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. |
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Species: WHITMOREITE Locality: Fitzgibbons Mine, Alstead, NH Specimen Size: 1.4 mm fov Field Collected: Marcelle Weber Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen Notes: |
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Species: WHITMOREITE Locality: Fitzgibbons 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. |
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Species: ZIRCON Locality: Fitzgibbons 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: |
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Species: UNKNOWN Locality: Fitzgibbons 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. |
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Species: UNKNOWN Locality: Fitzgibbons 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. |
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Species: UNKNOWN Locality: Fitzgibbons 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. |