New NH mineral photos 28

New Photos Gallery Return to front page. Click on image for larger view
Photos recently added to NH species galleries. (corrections 6/11/12: "Brazilianite" re-identified as hydroxylherderite, "Sphalerite" found to be quartz - photo eliminated)
ANATASE Littleton, NH 0.4 mm orange anatase crystal on quartz.	Species: ANATASE Locality: Littleton, NH Specimen Size: 0.4 mm orange anatase crystal on quartz Field Collected: Unknown Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen, ex. Janet Cares Notes: Rocks and Minerals, (Nov-Dec 1961), had a brief identification inquiry from a Mrs. Nelson Barter, S. Harpswell, ME: "I am sending a small specimen of quartz crystals found in a road cut in the town of Littleton, NH. They were found on a new road construction. On some of the quartz you will see tiny red crystal shapes. Can you tell me what these red crystals are? Some pieces also have calcite and pyrite crystals on them. Peter Zodac replied "The small red crystals are spinel." Spinel crystals will rarely, (if ever?), be found on quartz crystals. Perhaps the small small crystals seen by Peter were in fact anatase, from this locality, or a similar one close-by? Although spinel has appeared on several past NH mineral species lists, the author [tm] is unaware of any proven New Hampshire example.
SCHOONERITE Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 1.2 mm field of view. SCHOONERITE Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 1.5 mm field of view. SCHOONERITE Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 1.3 cm specimen with bronze-colored schoonerite needles (on augelite?).	Species: SCHOONERITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.2 mm fov top image, 1.5 mm middle image, 1.3 cm over-all specimen view. Field Collected: Walter Lane, gift from Gene Bearss Catalog No.: u1247 Notes: Two close-up views and one over-all view of specimen u1247
HAGENDORFITE Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 2.5 mm green-black stubby-prismatic hagendorfite crystal in ludlamite	Species: HAGENDORFITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 2.5 mm green-black stubby-prismatic hagendorfite crystal in ludlamite Field Collected: Walter Lane, gift from Bob Janules Catalog No.: u1249 Notes: The EDS analysis suggested "ferroalluaudite" (the analyist's suggestion). The Na response in the plot is greatly attenuated by the EDS instrument. Hagendorfite is a member of the alluaudite group of minerals. Hagendorfite is listed for the Palermo Mine, so that is the species assigned to this crystal.
HEMIMORPHITE Madison Lead Mine, Madison, NH 2.5 mm spray of bladed hemimorphite crystals on sphalerite HEMIMORPHITE Madison Lead Mine, Madison, NH Close up of hemimorphite crystals, 1.0 mm fov.	Species: HEMIMORPHITE Locality: Madison Lead Mine, Madison, NH Specimen Size: 2.5 mm spray of bladed hemimorphite crystals on sphalerite. Close-up view 1 mm fov. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: Notes:
MICROCLINE var. Amazonite Government Pit, Albany, NH 5 cm specimen	Species: MICROCLINE var. Amazonite Locality: Government Pit, Albany, NH Specimen Size: 5 cm specimen Field Collected: Tom Mortimer (late 1970's) Catalog No.: Notes:
FOGGITE Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 1.5 mm Foggite rosette showing individual crystal plates. FOGGITE or Fairfieldite? Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 10 mm field of view. Second broken foggite rosette to right.	Species: FOGGITE or Fairfieldite? Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.5 mm Foggite rosette showing individual crystal plates. Second view, 10 mm, rosette with broken rosette to right. Foggite balls are on bed of siderite crystals. Field Collected: Walter Lane Catalog No.: TBC Notes: Foggite specimens that resolve individual crystal plates frquently have a brown oxide coating. This specimen is free from this coating. Following my posting of this foggite image, collecting friend Peter Cristofono suggested the species might be fairfieldite rather than foggite. Peter supported this contention with several mindat.org fairfieldite photo examples. Some of these mindat.org examples do bear a strong resemblence to this specimen. The fairfieldite illustrations in Bob Whitemore's Palermo book have a somewhat pointed termination, where-as the foggite species is described as "elongated plates with basal terminations." From the photo here, the plates seem to have a somewhat squareish, basal termination....this is mostly what led me to a (visual) foggite ID. Again referencing Bob's Palermo book, "When found as spheres, foggite can be confused with crandalite and fairfieldite." EDS testing of this specimen is planned.
CERUSSITE Mineral Hill, Wakefield, NH 1 mm hexagonal, prismatic, crystal	Species: CERUSSITE Locality: Mineral Hill, Wakefield, NH Specimen Size: 1 mm hexagonal, prismatic, crystal Field Collected: A Gene Bearss collection specimen Catalog No.: Notes: There are actually a pair of parallel hexagonal cerrusite crystals here. But from this view, the rear crystal is obscured. This extreme prismatic form is unusual for the Mineral Hill locality. Gene was uncertain of the species identity, so it was analyzed. The EDS analysis indicated the species was cerussite. (The vertical lines on the plot are Pb markers. Elements lighter than Na do not show on plot).
BERYLLONITE Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 1.8 mm "cordwood stacked" habit beryllonite crystal. BERYLLONITE Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 1.8 mm "cordwood stacked" habit beryllonite crystal - cordwood face end outlined in red.	Species: BERYLLONITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.8 mm "cordwood stacked" habit beryllonite crystal - cordwood face end outlined in red in second view. Field Collected: Walter Lane Catalog No.: u1263 Notes: These cordwood habit beryllonite crystals can be difficult to discern, (and to photograph - I have not seen another photograph of a similar Palermo specimen). This habit is the same as the specimen shown (more clearly) by the Chickering Mine specimen on the main mindatnh beryllonite page. These Beryllonite crystals are on a rather remarkable thumbnail size specimen. Also on this specimen are hydroxylherderite crystals, etched acquamarine beryl, and schoonerite crystals. One of the schoonerite crystal groups can be seen in this image on the left side of the beryllonite. The specimen is an interesting study in associations. The etched beryl is likely contributing the berylium for the beryllonite and hydroxylherderite.
BERYLLONITE Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 1.5 mm "cordwood stacked" habit beryllonite crystal. BERYLLONITE Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 1.5 mm "cordwood stacked" habit beryllonite crystal - cordwood face end outlined in red, prism faces in blue.	Species: BERYLLONITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.5 mm "cordwood stacked" habit beryllonite crystal - cordwood face end outlined in red in second view. Field Collected: Walter Lane Catalog No.: u1263 Notes: Another beryllonite crystal on the above specimen
HYDROXYLHERDERITE with Beryllonite Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 1.7 mm honey-colored hydroxylherderite crystal with cord-wood edge view beryllonite in upper left.	Species: HYDROXYLHERDERITE with Beryllonite Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.7 mm honey-colored hydroxylherderite crystal with cord-wood edge view beryllonite in upper left. Field Collected: Walter Lane Catalog No.: u1263 Notes: Canon G9, F4.8, 1/80, Helicon Focus stack 13 images. A visual identification suggested by Jim Nizamoff.
SCHOONERITE Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 1.5 mm field of view	Species: SCHOONERITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.5 mm field of view Field Collected: Walter Lane Catalog No.: u1263 Notes: Canon G9, F3.5, 0.4 sec, Helicon Focus stack 6 images. The radial structure normally-bronze-colored schoonerite in the center of the photo has altered to a darker color. Falsterite, a deep-blue zinc mineral, (recently identified from the Palermo Mine as a new species) is a frequent associate of schoonerite. Beryllonite, etched beryl, and hydroxylherderite are also on this specimen, #1263.
SCHOONERITE? Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 0.4 mm crystal group	Species: SCHOONERITE? Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.4 mm crystal group Field Collected: Walter Lane Catalog No.: u1263 Notes: More traditional appearing schoonerite (of similar color) is also on this specimen. Jahnsite might also be a candidate ID here, however most Palermo jahnsite is more flat-bladed. These crystals are almost round in cross-section. Beryllonite, etched beryl, and hydroxylherderite are also on this specimen, u1263.
SCHOONERITE? Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH 0.5 mm crystal group	Species: SCHOONERITE? Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.5 mm crystal group Field Collected: Walter Lane Catalog No.: u1263 Notes: Another crystal group similar to the one above on specimen u1263. More traditional appearing schoonerite (of similar color) is also on this specimen. Jahnsite might also be a candidate ID here, however most Palermo jahnsite is more flat-bladed. These crystals are almost round in cross-section. This photo is at the magnification limit of my scope and camera. Beryllonite, etched beryl, and hydroxylherderite are also on this specimen, #1263.
HYDROXYLHERDERITE Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Approximate 1 mm field of view. Blocky, yellow-brown, hydroxylherderite crystals on beryllonite.	Species: HYDROXYLHERDERITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: Approximate 1 mm field of view. Blocky, yellow-brown, hydroxylherderite crystals on beryllonite. Field Collected: Walter Lane Catalog No.: u1263 Notes: The hydroxylherderite identification is a visual one. Beryllonite, etched beryl, and vivianite, are also on this specimen, u1263. Per Bob Whitmore's Palermo book, hydroxylherderite (a beryllium mineral) is sometimes associated with beryllonite, as on this specimen.