Locality: Allen Mine pegmatite group, Alstead, NH
Specimen Size: 7 cm x 5 cm sericite pseudomorph after schorl (terminated crystal).
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: Sericite pseudomorphs after schorl are not uncommon, but such specimens are not routinely found in collections.
Locality: Keyes #4 Mine, Orange, NH
Specimen Size: 3 cm x 4.5 cm terminated crystal section.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: NC
Notes: A voucher specimen for beryl at the Keyes #4 Mine, (not a particularly remarkable specimen). The bottom specimen view shows a totally included mica crystal group, indicating that the mica solidified in the pegmatite before the beryl.
Locality: Keyes #4 Mine, Orange, NH
Specimen Size: 2.1 cm complete, but rough, crystal with minor muscovite matrix
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: NC
Notes: A voucher specimen for Almandine at the Keyes #4 Mine, (not a particularly remarkable specimen).
Locality: Lockes Hill, Gilford, NH
Specimen Size: 1.2 cm augite crystal weathered from diorite matrix
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 1481
Notes:
Locality: Valencia Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 6.5 cm specimen of massive triphylite
Field Collected: Dana Jewell
Catalog No.: NC
Notes: A voucher specimen for un-altered triphylite at the Valencia Mine
Locality: Pulpit Rd. (residential construction site) Bedford, NH
Specimen Size: Top: 2 mm anorthite crystal embedded in calcite. Bottom: 2 mm anorthite crystal with oxide dendrites
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - June 2011
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: I have had two EDS analyses on these crystals. The first EDS analysis by Kerry Day (a grain on carbon tape) and a second EDS analysis from Microvision Labs in Chelmsford, MA. (a polished grain analysis from a section of the crystal shown in this photo). It is gratifying to see the Al:Si:Ca ratios on the Day and Microvision plots to be nearly identical! I would note that two other anorthite analyses included within the anorthite gallery (TMortimer71 (raw grain - from documented anorthite locality) and TMortimer133 (polished grain) show a substantially stronger silicon response.
Meionite, Anorthite, Zoisite, and Clinozoisite all approximate the chemistry suggested by these plots, although anorthite has less Ca content than the other three.
Hardness testing (with a professional hardness point set) indicates a hardness of 6 to 7 (Hardness testing on small crystals under the scope can be a challenge.) Meionite has a hardness of 5-6, Anorthite 6 to 6.5, Zoisite 6-7 and clinozoisite of 7.
Fred Pough's Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals indicates that meionite, zoisite, and clinozoisite are all readily fusible. Heating crystal grains from this specimen to glowing red with my propane torch gave no indication of melting. I must therefore conclude that these small crystals are anorthite.
Raman spectroscopy or XRD could further support the ID of these crystals. Fortunately I have quite a few.
Small, pale-green, diopside crystals are associated with these milky anorthite crystals.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 3 mm field of view. 0.5 mm red oxide coated, rhombic-tabular, montebrasite crystals on quartz crystal.
Field Collected: Dana Jewell
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: From a flat of Palermo rocks donated by Dana Jewel at the November, 2014 Micromounters of New England meeting.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 5.8 cm tall cluster of quartz crystals.
Field Collected: Dana Jewell
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: Dozens of micro, red oxide stained, montebrasite crystals are present on this specimen.
From a flat of Palermo rocks donated by Dana Jewel at the November, 2014 Micromounters of New England meeting.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 10 mm field of view. Goyazite balls on quartz crystal termination.
Field Collected: Gene Bearss - 1992
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: Gene had this labeled as "Crandallite ?". A November, 2014 EDS analysis indicated the species to be goyazite, (note the strong Sr response).
Locality: Chickering Mine, Walpole, NH
Specimen Size: 1.8 mm bleb of columbite-(Fe) in albite
Field Collected: Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: A November, 2014 EDS analysis indicated the species to be Columbite-(Fe).
EDS analyses have shown that both the Columbite-(Mn) and Columbite-(Fe) species are present at the Chickering Mine.
Locality: Mineral Hill, Wakefield, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm spray of brochantite crystals
Field Collected: Gene Bearss - 2013
Catalog No.: u1385
Notes: Art Smith had a similar Mineral Hill specimen analyzed by Excalibur Minerals (12/2000) and suggested the species brochantite, (Excalibur analysis) . However the Excalibur analysis stated "EDS cannot easily distinguish this phase from several other common copper sulfates... "
Locality: Mineral Hill, Wakefield, NH
Specimen Size: 7 mm field of view. Deep blue linarite.
Field Collected: Gene Bearss
Catalog No.: u902
Notes: Art Smith had a similar Mineral Hill specimen analyzed by Excalibur Minerals (4/2001) and indicated the species linarite, (Excalibur analysis) . Note the Pb line and S line overlap.