New Gallery #148

New Photos Gallery Return to mindatnh front page. Click on image for larger view
Photos recently added to NH species galleries, set #148.
STEWARTITE Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 0.8 mm field of view	Species: STEWARTITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.8 mm field of view Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob. Catalog No.: u2442 Notes: Habit and termination of these tiny yellow crystals suggests stewartite. Photo from a stack of 53 images, Nikon Plan 10 objective lens, Ping-pong ball diffuser, one second exposure for each shot! First try with direct LED lighting was sparkle city ! Jim Nizamoff opined that stewartite is the best guess for these tiny crystals, "I have seen similar occurrences in material I have collected or acquired through Bob. There is a chance that these could be something more interesting but as usual the chemistry will possibly determine that."
REDDINGITE Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 0.7 mm field of view. Pair of reddingite bipyramids.	Species: REDDINGITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.7 mm field of view. Pair of reddingite bipyramids. Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob. Catalog No.: u1868 Notes: I have this labeled as reddingite. It is similar to the specimen that I had a reddingite analysis, u1886. Reddingite is Mn dominant vs. kryzhanovskite, Fe dominant. This is a redo of an earlier photo... much better than before. These are quite nice for reddingite, but I likely should check.
CASSITERITE Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH 7.5 mm field of view.	Species: CASSITERITE Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH Specimen Size: 7.5 mm field of view. Field Collected: Bob Janules Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen Notes: Red danalite on view right edge.
GORCEXITE Chandlers Mill Mine, Newport, NH 0.7 mm crystal group GORCEXITE Chandlers Mill Mine, Newport, NH 0.3 mm crystal group	Species: GORCEXITE Locality: Chandlers Mill Mine, Newport, NH Specimen Size: 0.7 mm crystal group, top photo Field Collected: Bob Wilken Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo Notes: Gorceixite confirmed by EDS analyses. The Chandlers Mill Mine is the second locality that Bob Wilken has found gorceixite.
FAIRFIELDITE ? Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 8 mm tall specimen	Species: FAIRFIELDITE ? Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 8 mm tall specimen Field Collected: Unknown Catalog No.: Don Dallaire specimen #4004 and photo. Notes: [dd] The specimen was from Bob Whitmore's collection (No. 167-16TN). His label says "Fairfieldite, Zone No. 4. It is a spherical fairfieldite as described in his book and is quite asthetic.
ARROJADITE Group Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 1, N. Groton, NH 8 mm field of view	Species: ARROJADITE Group Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 1, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 8 mm field of view Field Collected: Bob Whitmore, 1975 per label, "**" Catalog No.: A Ray Meyers collection specimen (purchased) Notes: Identification per Bob Whitmore original label. [tm] These crystals are very dark for arrojadite. Whitmore & Lawrence's book The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo* states that "... arrojadite...was found exclusively at Pod 1 in hydrothermally reworked triphylite mixed with hagendorfite ..."
ARROJADITE Group Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 1, N. Groton, NH 2.5 mm crystal	Species: ARROJADITE Group Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 1, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 2.5 mm crystal Field Collected: Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: From a Ray Meyers collection specimen (purchased) Notes: Identification per Bob Whitmore original label. This crystal broke from miniature specimen when shipped to me.
RITTMANNITE ? Chandlers Mill Mine, Newport, NH 1.5 mm field of view	Species: RITTMANNITE ? Locality: Chandlers Mill Mine, Newport, NH Specimen Size: 1.5 mm field of view Field Collected: Bob Wilken Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo Notes: Rittmannite (whiteite sub-group) suggested by EDS analyses. [bw] best as I could determine, Rittmannite was the best option...a relatively new member of the whiteite sub group. Reviewing that decision (2021), I come to the conclusion that it can NOT be Rittmannite because Rittmanite is Mn dominant, (...see the results in the attached spectrum). But, everything else fits. An SEM photo on webmineral clearly shows a crystal termination consistent with these little crystals...one that is eosphorite-group-like. Incidentally Webmineral's formula for Rittmannite does not include any Ca whereas Mindat and IMA's do. There were no other options for the EDS results beyond Rittmannite and Kingsmountite. Kingsmountite looks more like a gordonite-type xl. So, I decided to check other whiteite subgroup species. Nothing fits there. Several require Mg which this does not show. It seems logical that this should fit in this subgroup somewhere but none of the members quite fit. Rittmannite chemistry is: {(Mn²⁺,Ca)}{Mn²⁺}{(Fe²⁺,Mn²⁺,Mg)₂}{(Al,Fe³⁺)₂}(PO₄)₄(OH)₂ � 8H₂O Web mineral gives an empirical formula as (combining O, omitting H): Mn₂FeAl₂P₄O₂₆ . Analysis chemistry: Mn_1.78Fe_1.96Al_3.35P₄O_21.4 , normalized for 4 P.
ROSCHERITE Group Chandlers Mill Mine, Newport, NH 0.8 mm roscherite crystal "fan" ROSCHERITE Group Chandlers Mill Mine, Newport, NH 1.9 mm field of view	Species: ROSCHERITE Group Locality: Chandlers Mill Mine, Newport, NH Specimen Size: Top photo: 0.8 mm roscherite crystal "fan" Field Collected: Bob Wilken Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen & photo Notes: Identification by Bob Wilken.
WARDITE Chandlers Mill Mine, Newport, NH 0.5 mm wardite crystal	Species: WARDITE Locality: Chandlers Mill Mine, Newport, NH Specimen Size: 0.5 mm wardite crystal Field Collected: Bob Wilken Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen & photo Notes:
BROCHANTITE Mascot Mine, Gorham, NH 1.4 mm field of view BROCHANTITE Mascot Mine, Gorham, NH 0.7 mm field of view	Species: BROCHANTITE Locality: Mascot Mine, Gorham, NH Specimen Size: 1.4 mm field of view with 0.7 mm close-up Field Collected: Bob Wilken Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen & photo Notes: