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Actinolite Albite Almandine Anatase Augite Bastnasite Bertrandite Beryl Biotite Brookite Calcite Cannizzarite? Chalcopyrite Chamosite Chlorite Copper? Danalite? Dolomite? Donnayite-(Y)? Ferrimolybdite Fluorite Galena? Goethite Gypsum Hematite Hornblende Hypersthene Ilmenite Labradorite Magnetite Marcasite? Microcline Molybdenite Monazite Muscovite Prehnite Pyrite Pyrrhotite Orthoclase Quartz (milky, smoky, amethystine) Scheelite Schorl Siderite Sphalerite Synchysite? Titanite Xenotime Zircon
Peter Cristofono provided the following commentary on AIQ rock types:
The major rock types are: (1) Monzonite/Syenite (2) Gabbro (3) Rhyolite (4) Granite Pegmatite (5) Schist, phyllite etc. (metamorphic country rock) and (6) Gneiss. There are other volcanic rocks in the quarry in addition to rhyolite, but no minerals collected from them yet.
IGNEOUS
1. Monzonite/Syenite
Theses rocks contain the miarolitic cavities. I think cavities are both more common and larger in the monzonite. Monzonite grades into syenite as the percentage of silica decreases. From what I have seen, the monzonite is pink or tan while the syenite is gray. The syenite groundmass has little or no quartz, while the monzonite contains quartz. (Quartz does occur in the cavities in syenite, however.) My ilmenite crystals and Unknown #2 are in syenite cavities. You can see the light color of the syenite in the Unknown #2 photo.
2. Gabbro
Dark-colored, coarse-grained rock. No cavities seen to date.
3. Rhyolite
Gray, fine-grained extrusive volcanic rock, weathers to chalky white. Contains pyrite and quartz (some of it amethystine). Some rhyolite is porphyritic, according to Freedman, and I do have one example with feldspar phenocrysts.
Granite Pegmatite
No cavities observed. Contains schorl, almandine, beryl, muscovite, microcline. Completely different from the Little Rattlesnake volcanic and plutonic rocks.
METAMORPHIC
Schist etc.
Cavities rare. I have found actinolite and molybdenite in schist. The metamorphic country rocks need more investigation. The most recent NH Geologic map indicates this rock belongs to the Berwick Formation.
Gneiss
Pink, white and black gneiss; resembles Massabesic Gneiss, which occurs west of the site in Raymond, as well as Manchester, Milford etc. (I want to check with the quarry manager to make certain that no external rock was dumped in the quarry.) Of course it may not be Massabesic, but whatever it is, it is very different from the other rocks in the quarry. This rock contains abundant biotite, and I have also observed hornblende, titanite, and magnetite.
Here are the relevant rock descriptions based on the 1997 map:
Merrimack Group, Berwick Formation
Purple biotite-quartz-feldspar granofels or schist and interbeds of calc-silicate granofels and minor metapelites. Stratigraphic sequence with respect to Eliot Formation uncertain. Primary rock type: Granofels. Secondary Rock Type: Quartz-Feldspar Schist. Other Rock Types: Meta-Argillite. Ordovician? - Silurian? Part of the Nashoba-Casco-Miramichi Terrane (Merrimack Trough).
Augite-hornblende-biotite gabbro
Part of the New England-Quebec igneous province of McHone and Butler (1984). Overall, part of the White Mountain Plutonic-Volcanic Suite - Includes Cretaceous alkalic syenite to granitic to gabbroic plutons, minor volcanic rocks, and lamprophyre dikes of the New England-Quebec igneous province of McHone and Butler (1984); also includes Jurassic granite and syenite and less abundant quartz syenite, diorite, gabbro, nepheline syenite, and volcanic rocks of the White Mountain igneous province of McHone and Butler (1984). Primary rock type: gabbro. Cretaceous.
Mesoperthitic biotite granite
Part of the New England-Quebec igneous province of McHone and Butler (1984). Overall, part of the White Mountain Plutonic-Volcanic Suite - Includes Cretaceous alkalic syenite to granitic to gabbroic plutons, minor volcanic rocks, and lamprophyre dikes of the New England-Quebec igneous province of McHone and Butler (1984); also includes Jurassic granite and syenite and less abundant quartz syenite, diorite, gabbro, nepheline syenite, and volcanic rocks of the White Mountain igneous province of McHone and Butler (1984). Primary rock type: granite. Early Cretaceous
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Notes: The AI Quarry has removed a large portion of Little Rattlesnake Hill.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Notes: The AI Quarry has removed a large portion of Little Rattlesnake Hill.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Notes: Zoom view of section of the Geologic map of the Mt. Pawtuckaway quadrangle, New Hampshire, published 1950, based on geologic surveys of 1940, 1941, and 1946. Little Rattlesnake Hill is in the very southern most area of the map (right at the bottom edge).
Map Key:(from map side)
mg = microcline granite
g = gabbro and monzonite
v = volcanic rocks
horizontally lined pink = Berwick formation- gray/green phyllite
Red cross = pegmatite. (We have seen obvious course-grain pegmatite on the quarry floor)
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Photographer: Peter Cristofono (July 25, 2013)
Notes: Monzonite boulders cointaining small miarolitic cavities in foreground.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Photographer: Suzanne Wall (Oct. 29, 2013)
Notes: [SW] The back wall where we were parked. I'll call it north west.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Photographer: Suzanne Wall (Oct. 29, 2013)
Notes: [SW] A view south east opposite where we were parked.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Photographer: Suzanne Wall (Oct. 29, 2013)
Notes: [SW] Basalt/Rhyolite contact south west wall. Molybdenite boulder found here.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Photographer: Suzanne Wall (Oct. 29, 2013)
Notes: [SW] A mineralized vug in the monzanite.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Photographer: Suzanne Wall (Oct. 29, 2013)
Notes: [SW] The south east corner.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Photographer: Suzanne Wall (Oct. 29, 2013)
Notes: [SW] The south west wall taken directly opposite photo five. It shows the basalt in contact with the rhyolite and the underlying rhyolite.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Photographer: Suzanne Wall (Oct. 29, 2013)
Notes: [SW] A contact taken at location in photo number five. It shows the country rock in contact with the felsite intrusion The contact shows that they were at the same temperature at the time of emplacement. The felcite is of archaeologic interest.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 3 mm FOV. Actinolite in schist country rock (Berwick Formation)
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm field of view
Field Collected: Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: u2348
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 5 mm field of view
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: [PC] Albite (?) colored green by inclusions.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 9 mm garnet in quartz, feldspar, muscovite pegmatite
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: A voucher specimen for Almandine at the AI Quarry, Raymond, NH. This garnet is very pink, so might be spessartine.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.1 mm, largest crystal Arrows added to second view
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: [bw] The largest of the scattered xls in this photo (lower right of center) is about 0.1 mm. Most are half that and even tinier.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.15 mm anatase crystal (tiny !) with clear brookite crystal top center
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2325
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.10 mm anatase crystal (tiny !)
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2325
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.10 mm anatase crystal (tiny !)
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2325
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.15 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm cluster of bertrantite crystals with siderite in miarolitic vug
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: The 3.5 cm piece that has the bertrandite and UK #9 is in a saved section of at least a 3 cm section of miarolitic vug. The backside matrix appears to be a (cream) feldspar(~60%) and milky-clear quartz (~40%) granite. The miarolitic cavity contains (in approx. decreasing abundance):
Cream feldspar xls
Quartz xls, clear-milky to slightly smoky
Siderite, tan rhombs
A greenish-gray crusty mineral
Pyrite cubes to octahedrons, grayish tarnish
Zircon prismatic reddish-orange
Bertrandite
Unknown #9
All-in-all, quite an interesting piece!
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.8 mm bertrantite crystal
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm crystal group
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: Bob originally submitted this photo as albite. TM and Bob Janules agree this is most likely bertrandite.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: TBD
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: FOV ~ 2.5mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: [tm] Peter submitted this photos as "Bertrandite? with pyrite" The (mostly) edge-on crystal in the upper center right looks like bertrandite to me.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.7 mm clear crystal cluster
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2323
Notes: Brookite and bertrandite are other possible ID's for these.
These AIQ crystals do have some appropriately oriented striations (that bring to mind a brookite ID ... suggested by Bob Wilken). The AIQ ones do not have the elongate habit seen in many of the mindat baddeleyite photos. Most of the similar, clear, mindat ones come from volcanic complex environments (Italy & Germany), like the AIQ environment. There are a few tiny zircons also on this specimen. Zircons are more common at AIQ (Zr - favoring baddeleyite) but we also have uncommon anatase (Ti - favoring brookite).
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.9 mm crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2323
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.0 mm crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2342
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 4.5 cm specimen. Beryl in quartz, feldspar, muscovite pegmatite
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: A voucher specimen for beryl at the AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Eye loop - approx one inch? for scale
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 4 cm field of view
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: A voucher specimen for biotite (group) at the AI Quarry, Raymond, NH. The biotite is the darkest mineral. Also mixed in is a dark bluish-green vitreous mineral, perhaps tourmaline. Some of the of the mica is very black (annite?), other mica is quite brown (phlogopite?).
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Biotite crystal (2mm).
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: [PC] Biotite is abundant in the gneiss.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.2 mm colorless crystals
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: [BW] Generally smaller colorless, very C-axis striated crystals. When the light catches them directly they are quite brilliant. Between the glare and the size rather difficult to capture. They are always found in small patches of what appears to be white deteriorating dolomite xls. There is usually relict anatase (or some other relict silver-black metallic material) present too. At one point I wondered if they were just gypsum but there's no pyrite at all. I put a piece in the ultrasonic for a while and the xls did not deteriorate so these must be some type of silicate.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Brookite crystal (0.2mm). Two images.
Field Collected (owner): Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janulus specimen
Notes: A Tom Mortimer photo
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm brookite crystal
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo. AIQBrookite01AS2
Notes: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo. [bw] "The relict material turned out to be relict potassic feldspar with Ti (My AIQUK02 BC EDS). It wasn't dolomite."
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Lower brookite cluster is about 0.22 mm
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo. AIQBrookite02AS2
Notes: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.0 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo' AIQBrookite01AS
Notes: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo. [bw] "There are at least four or five brookites in the photo. The anatase is on the dark side. But, I tried taking a photo without my cup diffuser in the exact same position and the largest brookite to the right of the anatase practically disappeared."
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: [BW] Similar gave strong fizz in muriatic acid.
[TM] Interesting calcite association with the gray unknown balls.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Calcite crystals to 8 mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: Part of larger specimen. Fluoresces orange (SW).
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 4.6 mm FOV
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 3.5 mm field of view
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: A January, 2014 EDS analysis of these metalic needles indicated this is a lead-bismuth mineral. The chemistry of the metalic needles and the ribbons appears to be identical.
Another mineralogist reviewing the spectra of our recently analyzed "Pb-Bi alloy" mineral has suggested that the Pb-Bi peaks in the 2.3 to 2.4 KeV region may be masking sulfur lines in this region, this suggesting a Pb-Bi sulfide mineral. Peter Cristofono suggested candidate species of (links to mindat photos):
Galenobismutite
Cosalite
Cannizzarite
Acknowledging the likelihood of Pb and Bi masking the sulfur lines, Kerry Day responded: "Since both metallic Bismuth and Bismuth alloys have a brittle fracture like sulfides there is no good way to tell if Sulfur is present. The Pb and Bi are subequal, therefore, of the possibilities you mentioned only Cannizzarite and Cosalite fit. I am not an expert on Pb-Bi sulfides but they do make more sense than naturally occurring Pb-Bi alloys."
[TM] Bob Wilken thought cannazzarite was the best visual fit, so for the present, I have lumped all these photos under "CANNAZZARITE?"
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: metalic needle is almost 1 cm long
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm field of view
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: A February, 2014 EDS analysis of these metalic ribbons (from a Tom Mortimer specimen) indicated this is a lead-bismuth mineral.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm field of view. Two photos, different lighting & orientation.
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.7 mm wire assemblage
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: [BW] I looked at the wires a long time before I saw the discs!
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: The long lath as best as I can measure is 1.5 mm long
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: [BW] Depending upon how the lighting hits the blades they can exhibit a blue appearance. Perhaps just optics or a superficial oxidation?
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Metallic blue, curved "ribbon." (about 2.5 - 3 mm long).
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: [TM] Peter titled this mineral photo as "Unknown" so I am placing it here. It may be the same as our "Bismuthinite?" or "Millerite."
[PC] "Some of our ribbons and/or needles may be filiform pyrite; at least we should consider the possibility."
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Metallic blue "ribbon." TBD FOV.
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: [TM] Appears to be same as Unknown#5, so I am placing it here.
[PC] "Unknown #5 again. I also wonder whether rutile is a possibility for some of these needles and ribbons."
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Tony Mariano SEM photo. FOV indicated by scale
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen
Notes: Tony Mariano performed two EDS analyses on these metalic ribbons: Cannizzarite1_EDS , Cannizzarite2_EDS.
Peter reported: "The metallic needles clearly are a Pb, Bi, S mineral. Tony says that there is noticeably more bismuth than lead. Of the possible Pb-Bi-S minerals only two: cannizzarite (monoclinic) and galenobismutite (orthorhombic) have more Bi than Pb. Tony likes cannizzarite, but we would need XRD or some other structural analysis to be sure. (There is a small amount of Cu in one analysis, which makes me also wonder about cosalite, but the Pb-Bi ratio is wrong.)"
Cannizzarite chemistry is (Fleischer 2008): Pb46Bi54S127
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Cannizzarite ribbon, 1.6 mm, draped from albite crystal (left) to over top of siderite crystal (right).
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2340
Notes: From a stack of 68 images.
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.9 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo. AIQCannizzarite01BS
Notes: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 3.2 mm wire
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo. AIQCannizzarite02AS
Notes: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.9 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo. AIQCannizzarite01BS
Notes: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 3.2 mm wire
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo. AIQCannizzarite02AS
Notes: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 4.0 mm side to side crystal mass
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: No green copper staining or copper secondaries (e.g. malachite) have been observed to date at the AI Quarry, so this may just be deformed pyrite crystals.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: The major xl 2.0 mm across
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.5 mm crystal, two views
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: I think this looks as close to chalcopyrite as I have seen. Very difficult to photograph because of the rough, reflective surface I think this shows signs of being tetrahedral. The crystal regrowth surfaces are slightly curved and, as you can see, offset from each other.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Chamosite spherules associated with siderite. FOV~ 4mm (2nd photo)
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: A January, 2014 EDS analysis showed these green spheres to be chamosite.
[PC] There seem to be at least three kinds of spherules at Raymond: black (goethite); tan-colored (often with black interiors); and these green ones, (chamosite).
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Chlorite in gneiss. Voucher specimen. FOV ~ 1.5mm.
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm field of view
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: BW comment: "One might logically ask is this copper or silver? I'm afraid the photos give more of a sense of black-gray whereas when you see it under the scope it looks mostly coppery. There is no green oxidation that might be a telltale copper marker."
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.5 mm knotted wire
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: BW comment:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.2 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: Other possibilities: sphalerite, mostly embedded siderite.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 to 0.4 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: Peter submitted this as "Unknown red triangular face", it is similar to our other "Danalites."
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.6 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm crystal group
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: Pearly curved blades suggest dolomite, but could be just another form of the omnipresent siderite.
EDS analysis confirmed this is siderite.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm tower
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: [BW] Scanning the same pieces of rock that had the gray-white material,... I found individual discs I should have noticed earlier but didn't...sparsely scattered in several of the vugs. This set off MSH recollections of donnayite. The little tower too.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm FOV. Ferrimolybdite (yellow) on molybdenite.
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 6 mm field of view
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: TBD
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.6 mm pale lavender fluorite crystal
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 4.2 mm fluorite crystal
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: From large boulder extensively collected by Bob Wilken and Gordon Jackson.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 4 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: From large boulder extensively collected by Bob Wilken and Gordon Jackson.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm fluorite cubes with siderite
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 12 mm FOV
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.8 mm fluorite crystal with siderite rhomb inclusions
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: The siderite included in the fluorite indicates that the flourite crystals were one of the last minerals to form in these miarolitic vugs.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: "Spherical" fluorite. FOV is about 3 mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.25 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: Photo taken with a dismounted ring flash off to the side. Note the textured surfaces of the crystal faces, except for the triangular faces which are quite smooth.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 5.5 mm vertical crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: An unusual habit flat, tabular, fluorite crystal
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm field of view
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: Prominent octahedron form with minor cube faces.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: TBD
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: TBD
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm field of view
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes:Lighting is LED ring light.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.5 mm gypsum crystal spray
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes:Lighting is LED ring light.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 5 mm hornblende crystal
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: TBD
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: PC comment: "Hypersthene? from monzonite. It looks to be a pyroxene based on cleavage, and if so apparently hypersthene according to Freedman (1950); However, I don't think it can be visually distinguished with certainty from augite."
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: Tentative ilmenite idendification by Peter Cristofono. [TM] Looks right to me.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.5 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: [BW] Horrible photo but no matter what I do I can't get rid of that grainy texture. It's in the siderite, the pyrite...eveything. It's as though all surfaces are micropitted and the light just reflects back from every one of the pits. When you look around the back of this crystal it seems to be composed of three intergrown tabular crystals. On the front it still gives that hexagonal outline that Peter's does. I think this could just be very flattened habit sphalerite.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Sharp black crystal, about 2mm, nearly covered with white coating. Tiny pyrite crystal on the face.
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: This was previously posted as Peter's Unknown #3. Peter stated " I now believe that my Unknown #3 is also ilmenite, and that the white coating may be "leucoxene," an alteration product of titanium minerals consisting of anatase/rutile."
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.10 mm ilmenite crystal (tiny !)
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2291
Notes: Also on the u2291 micro-boxed specimen with anatase is this lustrous metallic black crystal. Only about a mm away from the anatase, so assuming ilmenite. I cannot discount the possibility that this is hematite.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 7 mm FOV
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: The K-feldspars microcline and orthoclase are both reported from the Raymond AIQ. XRD or perhaps RAMAN spectroscopy is needed to differientiate between these two species.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Pale grayish green labradorite (4mm long) in gabbro.
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: [PC] "Shows a wee bit of labradorescence".
[TM Technically labradorite is not a species, it is a variety of anorthite.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: About 2mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.1 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 6 x 4 mm crystal group - two views
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: [TM] Marcasite and pyrite are chemically indistinguishable. XRD or perhaps RAMAN spectroscopy is required to differentiate.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Individual crystals about 0.25 mm
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: [BW] These are either eroded or just poorly formed crystals. They look like a poor version of this: http://www.mindat.org/photo-435410.html
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm broken marcasite? crystaline mass revealing silvery metalic interior
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: Fred Pough's Field Guide says: Marcasite "generally whiter on a fresh surface than pyrite."
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Dime for size reference
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm crystal plate clump
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: This jumbled group of molybdenite crystal plates is so lustrous, I could not capture a view that did have some bright reflections. Molybdenite was adjacent to (within 2 mm) a miarolitic vug.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm cluster
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Molybdenite in 6 mm-wide pocket.
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: Monazite is my best guess for this. Certainly needs to be verified. Perhaps I could have filed in the "unknowns" section. There are hundreds of smaller, similar, crystals on this specimen. These appear to be totally encasing siderite rhombs.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.7 mm field of view
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: In this photo these small crystals appear as pyriteohedrons. The crystals are transparent.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 7 cm specimen with 2.3 cm mica ball
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 2129
Notes:For NH ball mica, this is a pretty good specimen.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2.2 cm muscovite ball
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 2125
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 5.4 mm field of view
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: TBD
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Crystals are very small, about 0.25 mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: [PC] Octahedrons on tan siderite (maybe ankerite or calcite?). Some are (tarnished?) blue. May be octahedral pyrite, or possibly magnetite; probably not anatase.
[TM] I have included these with the pyrite photos as they resemble similar small octahedrel crystals I have seen that I'm quite certain are pyrite. Other photos show both the cubic form and octahedral form are simultaneously present in AIQ pyrite crystals.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: TBD
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: pair of 0.7 mm cubes
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2321
Notes: Pure simple cubes!
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Crystals to 3 mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 7 mm field of view. Pyrite in rhyolite.
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Pyrite with a 0.8 mm prism form.
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: [BW] "Don't think this qualifies as filiform...more like rebar."
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.2 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 4 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2297
Notes: My initial visual identification of these octahedrons was galena. A January, 2020 polished grain EDS analysis (BC374) indicated pyrite. A thin coating of some other mineral is suspected to be responsible for the silver gray appearance. The clear, flat-blade, sprays are gypsum.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.5 mm pyrite crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2297
Notes: The clear, flat-blade, sprays are gypsum.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2.0 x 1.5 mm crystal stack
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: [TM] In my first posting of Bob's pyrrhotite, I desaturated it substantially. However, Bob said I went too far. This is Bob's second photo of this specimen from Bob.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 to 2 mm field of view. Pyroxene crystals in monzonite.
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 7 cm specimen with smoky quartz crystals to 1.1 cm.
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 2131
Notes: Most quartz crystals seen on the 11/29/13 visit to the AI Quarry were smaller than these. Sub-millimeter zircon and siderite crystals are also present on this specimen.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: TBD
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Amethystine quartz and pyrite (1mm crystal)
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: Amethystine quartz and pyrite (1mm crystal) in white, altered rhyolite(?). All of the amethystine quartz crystals I've seen are subhedral, while the pyrite crystals are very sharp.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 3 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 10 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 5 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Two views, daylight & SW UV, each view 9 mm across
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes: [PC] The fluorescence is strong enough that I didn't need to shut all the lights off to shoot the photo on the right.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 2.2 cm specimen
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: A voucher specimen for schorl at the AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Schorl in pegmatite. Eye loop - approx one inch? for scale
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 3 mm siderite group
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.64 mm siderite rhomb with tiny pyrite crystals
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 3 mm field of view. Siderite on quartz
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: An analysis of a rhombic tan siderite: EDS analysis , (Kerry Day analysis of a Peter Cristofono specimen.)
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm field of view. Siderite on fluorite
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 4 mm siderite rosette cluster
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 7 mm siderite crystal
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.7 mm crystal cluster
Field Collected: Gene Bearss - 2014
Catalog No.: u1958
Notes: Initial thought was this was either dolomite or ankerite. An EDS analysis indicated siderite with a bit of added calcium, magnesium and manganese.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.54 mm crystal cluster
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm sphalerite crystal
Field Collected (owner): A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Catalog No.: Bob Wilken
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Approx 1 mm ?
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.: A Peter Cristofono specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.7 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: [BW] A small but a sharp and lustrous crystal. Most of what I have seen are clusters that are difficult to make much sense of or they are fairly coarse or eroded looking. This is a pretty classic sphalerite habit.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.9 mm crystal group
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Complete crystal on right is 0.4 mm
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: [BW] The quite round-looking complete xl to the right is about 0.4 mm. The material is quite mottled ...orange areas and black areas swirling around in the xl.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Sphalerite crystals dusted with light greenish white "unknown #1." FOV is about 3mm.
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: FOV ~ 5 mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes: Sphalerite, albite (w/ green inclusions), siderite.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.2 mm complex sphalerite crystal on dolomite.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2344
Notes: From a stack of 48 images processed with Helicon Focus, Method C.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm crystal (in gneiss)
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: [BW] A real xenotime...yellow and mostly transparent...similar to the N. Sugarloaf and Water Pocket ones.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: A group of two (maybe a third smaller one totally covered) that measures 0.4.
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: [BW] Quite milky yellow but opaque and sprinkled with waxy, yellowish ball material.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 for the single xl
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: [BW] Mostly covered by the green spheres and some black material, you can just make out the edges of the xl. The edges show some transluscence. I guess we can wonder how many xls are concealed by the later paragenetic material.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.5 mm on feldspar
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Octahedral crystal is about 0.5 mm on the diagonal. Two photos, top and side views.
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: These tan bipyramids are not fluorescent. Xenotime is another species possibility.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 3 mm field of view. Two photos, different orientations.
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: These tan bipyramids are not fluorescent. Orange-red rhombs are siderite.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: The xls here are 0.6 to 0.7 mm
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: [BW] "I'll have to check on zircon twinning later. There's an article on zircon twinning at: http://rruff.info/doclib/MinMag/Volume_39/39-305-587.pdf. Have yet to read it myself."
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 3.0 mm fov
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: FOV is about 5 mm.
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes: Doubly terminated zircon crystals.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: FOV about 3.5 mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes: [TM] Perhaps this hexagonal orange unknown is synchysite?
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm crystal
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.8 mm crystal on diagonal, two views
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2324
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Zircon with purple fluorite. FOV is about 1.5 mm.
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Zircon and light green "unknown #1" FOV ~ 2.5mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm zircon crystal with unknown cream-colored crusty mineral.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2322
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: TBD
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes: Black interior (visible in photo) suggests there may be two mineral species present here.
[pc - 12/12/13] I've been checking out Mindat for spheres/balls in cavities that would be similar to Raymond. The closest I have seen so far are the nontronite balls from Sugar Grove, West Virginia. I have some of these from Sugar Grove in my collection as well. The green and bluish spheres from Raymond especially look like Sugar Grove spheres. The nontronite at Sugar Grove occurs in several different colors. But the black and red spheres at Raymond are probably goethite and hematite. The metallic ones could also be goethite or even pyrite balls. Anyway, I hope to get to the bottom of the mystery spheres.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: FOV is about 4 mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes: Same as unknown #1 except light green instead of tan. Same glossy black interiors
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Bob Wilken view (2nd image): Across the top from side to side of the mass it's about 1.5 mm. (others as noted in expanded views)
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono, Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: PC comment: "a radial zeolite? in a miarolitic cavity."
[BW] I tried to get a view of the crystal tops to compliment Peter's photo. The mass continues quite a lot further down as shown in Peter's photo. This looks like stilbite to me. The crystal tips resemble childrenite terminations.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.2 mm TINY reticulated cluster on pyrite
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2346
Notes: [TM] Probably will never know what this is, but perhaps others will find similar, larger.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: TBD mm micaeous mass
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: [BW] A micaceous mass. It's more yellow than I remembered it but probably due to iron staining from the siderite nearby. Muscovite?
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm glassy, pinkish, scallop-shaped crystals, stacked one behind the other.
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: This small crystal is on same specimen with the bertrandite, about 2 mm away from the photoed bertrandite cluster. This is the only one of these I have seen.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: About 0.9 mm fov. Frosty white tabular hexagonal crystals. Broken crystal shows zoned interior.
Field Collected (owner): Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: About 1.2 mm fov.
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: [BW] Sparsely scattered groupings of acicular material. Some just don't show up depending on the background. Top photo is about a 1.2 mm fov at the most. I can't tell if these are metallic or not. At times they reflect a golden coloration. In the photo they mostly look white. Second photo is an attempt at a closeup of one grouping with my doubler lens.
[TM] This looks a bit like my Unknown #6. In both photos, pyrite is nearby.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: fov is approximately 1.5 mm in top photo, tabular xls in lower photo are about 0.4 mm
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: [BW] Top photo gives a better idea of the color. It's kind of a gray-white. The crystals look fractured within and are likely quite friable and fragile. Whether from the front (lower photo) or back (top photo) there are two (stepped...I think) chisel-topped tabular crystals standing in front of each other. Crystal facet definition is not at all crisp which makes them difficult to comprehend. From the top photo direction you can see more "skinny" material stacked up against the side of a quartz crystal.
Thinking (more) about the gray-white material ... I had already gone to the Mindat physical properties search ... and tried plugging in whatever characteristics I could. Nothing popped out at me that seemed reasonable so I gave up. A MSH mineral kept showing up no matter how I changed the criteria but I dismissed it as just not likely. It was nenadkevichite. Check out the lead photo on the Mindat nenadkevichite page: http://www.mindat.org/photo-44913.html Except for the fact this crystal is glitzy everything about it (including poor to indistinct cleavage fits. The luster, the color (minus any pink or color tonalities), the wedge tabular habit...all work. Of couse that would mean there has to be niobium at AIQ. But, if the xenotime is in deed xenotime (Y) right next to donnayite (Y) there very well could be REE's floating around in this chunk of material.
As far as I can find MSH orogeny was during the Cretaceous Period, the last of three during the Mesozoic Era. I have not found anything more specific than the Mesozoic Era for the Snake Hill area. It may be out there somewhere. It must have been an extremely active time. I wonder how it ties in with continental drift and continental collisions? My inclination would be to say MSH had a more violent history whereas S.E. NH was more of a gentle percolating, less explosive formation. A total guess on my part. Are there any basaltic rocks nearby in S. NH or NE Mass associated with the same volcanics?
More photos added 11/27/13 [BW] I attached three more photos of this...one good clear one and two rather perfunctory ones of more ordinary occurrences. Fourth photo is the best subject for a photo that I have found. Third and sixth are just not good specimen material. However, they typify what is most commonly found. You can also see it in the background of UK10 (2nd photo).
Wherever it is, it seems to be accompanied by other interesting mineralization, especially when it is partially or mostly broken down. So, it must be a carrier of elements that leads to secondaries is my best guess. My original thought that it might be nenadkevichite I guess is possible but I'm getting more cautious about that. Sometimes I run across chisel-top peak masses of the stuff on feldspar and wonder if it's just a relict feldspar. My original thought was that it was dolomite. But, when I find a really good example of it as in the third photo (and UK 10 already posted) then I doubt that too.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Unknown metallic spheres (green/blue) FOV is about 2mm. Goethite? Turgite?
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Unknown metallic spheres (bronzy) with tiny red spheres (hematite?) FOV is about 2mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: FOV ~ 2.5mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes: Unknown brown "octahedral" crystal; non-fluorescent. Zircon or xenotime? The white mineral on top of the crystal = "synchysite". Orange mineral is siderite.
[tm] This is likely one of our "xenotimes", but I left it as an unknown as Peter submitted it.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Unknown black crystal, about 2mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: FOV about 1.5 mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.2 mm largest crystal
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm UK REE 1 crystal with tiny anatase
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.5 mm UK REE 1 crystal
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: Very clearly hexagonal here. Anna found this in the rock that contained the anatase I first photographed, already on the website. Anna is the inheritor of all anatase!
[TM] I need to train my wife!
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm UK REE 1 crystal
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.75 mm UK REE crystal (color). Tony Mariano SEM photos. FOV indicated by scale
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes: [TM] I saw this specimen at the Nov. MMNE meeting. Peter did very well to get such a good photo of this one.
Peter provided this specimen to Tony Mariano for EDS analysis & SEM photo.
Tony Mariano performed four EDS analyses on this specimen: AIQ_HEX_REE1 , AIQ_HEX_REE2, AIQ_HEX_REE3 , AIQ_HEX_REE4.
Peter reported: "As for some suspected REE carbonate minerals. He did 4 analyses. The specimen analyzed was the 4th "synchysite" on our AIQ page (my first one). That very crystal and others elsewhere on the specimen were analyzed. We can safely say that what I gave him is not basnaesite, synchysite, or parisite. They have thorium, calcium, silicon, oxygen and rare earths (Nd, Ce, La). He said the high amount of Nd is unusual. Also on the spectra, but possibly/probably impurities: C, Fe, Al, Ti, P, and S."
A fifth EDS analysis was performed on a polished grain sample of this unknown REE at the Chelmsford Microvision Lab on 11/18/14. A plot of this spectrum is: AIQ_HEX_REE5 . The REE spectra are much higher and the Si much lower in this plot. The little crystal sacrificed was provided by Bob Wilken. This photo shows the tiny (0.15 mm) crystal before it was removed from matrix: AIQ_REE5_analyzed
Below this photo set is a tabulated interpretation of the EDS analysis results.
[tm] Unsure if Tony's sample was carbon coated. But carbon peaks are present in his plots. The BC analysis of my sample was on carbon tape (not carbon coated). These two analyses show a good carbon peak. This would suggest a carbonate. We should push a small fragment into a drop of muriatic on a glass slide observing under scope for bubbles-fizz. All our plots have some silicon response... but hard to know if this is just a thin silica coating (think hyalite) or is intrinsic to the mineral. Aluminum is labeled on Tony's plots, and a smidgen appears on one of my plots. The REE Yb has a strong line here also, so with all the other REE's present, the Al may be a miss-identification. A candidate that fits (IMO) as well as any is: Thorbastnäsite, ThCa(CO3)2F2·3H2O . Note => has fluorine! Mindat says thorbastnasite may contain minor REE.... most of our analyses show quite a bit of REE's, perhaps too much? The plots of this AIQ UK have a lot of similarity with the synchysite-thorbastnasite specimen I have from Ellacoya, see Synchysite Gallery AND there is a strong visual resemblance as well. Both AIQ and Ellacoya - Belknap Mts. are volcanic origin.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Approx 0.25 mm UK REE 1 crystal
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: FOV is about 2.5 mm
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes: [pc] The best I have found so far. On the same specimen as Unknown #17. The small hex tablet on top is interesting. A different mineral than the UK REE 1
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: FOV is about 2 mm. UK REE 1 on fluorite.
Field Collected (owner): Peter Cristofono
Catalog No.:
Notes: [tm] looks like a segmented worm. Perhaps something different than UK REE 1
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u1610
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: Two slightly different views. This crystal was sacrificed for a polished grain EDS analysis. Another EDS analysis from a different zone on the crystal. Interesting the first plot labels the peak about 0.650 KeV as an Ce peak, and the second plot labels it as a F peak. It is likely a Ce peak, as the first plot also labels the two peaks in the neighborhood of 5 KeV as Ce peaks.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.7 mm crystal group
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u1776
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Hexagonal cross-section is about 0.15 mm across
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u1775
Notes: Good view of radial zoning
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm disk stack
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: AIQUK04AS2
Notes: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo. [bw] Stacked yellow discs. [bw] "It does appear that the yellow exterior is often caused by some kind of superficial mineral. My first BC EDS was inconclusive. I referred to it as "element salad" with as many as 13 elements. This set may have had some sodium, Na, contamination: Na 3.11 / Mg 1.31 / Al1.13/ Si 7.84 / Y 0.51/ Ir 0.71/ Pb 0.29/ Ca 2.29/ Ce 0.59/ Fe 1.88/ Co 0.21/ Cu 2.38/ O 78.37. Three probes in a retest all showed varying outcomes this time with no Si at all but a fair amount of F in two of them. The first: O 67.72/ F 8.39 / Y 2.34/ Ca 18.22/ Ce 3.33 The second probe shows similar REE's but virtually no F: O 52.06/ F 0.01/ Y 2.01/ Ca 37.93/ Ce 7.34 / La 0.85. The third probe (out of the blue) turns up P. Looking at the other spectra, I think P was mislabeled for Y both of which are around 1.80 kev. The results were stated in oxides: F2O 4.01/ P2O5 16.79/ CaO 61.16/ TeO2 9.33/ Ce2O3 5.27/ Gd2O3 3.45.
Aside from the variability of the REE's this can only be a calcium fluoride with a significant REE content. Roentgenite seems to be the one thing that fits. There IS the possibility that a CO3 component is hidden here which could bring things like synchysite Y or Ce into play.
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.28 mm disks
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: AIQUK04ES
Notes: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo. [bw] "Mindat only has two röntgenite photos and neither are micro in nature. Webmin also had two: one by John Veevaert and another by Bill Lechner (an MSH guy). The two specimens are quite different in color and form. The Veevaert one shows roentgenite/röntgenite from Greenland that could look very much like the AIQ stuff. I say "could" because the photo is not very good. He focused in on one crystal that shows a sharper hex xl than any of the AIQ rounded discs. It may have been the one and only on his specimen. Anyway, the AIQ stuff probably is also hex but it just didn't have the conditions to form as distinct prisms."
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.6 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: AIQUK04DS
Notes: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm disk stack
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: AIQUK04BS
Notes: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.25 mm disk stack
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: AIQUK04CS
Notes: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Locality: AI Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 1.6 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: AIQUK04DS
Notes: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.9 mm field of view. Fine acicular hairs, yellow octahedron may be xenotime
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u1775
Notes:
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm AIQ04 composite disc stack - top photo
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: EDS analysis (AIQUK04B) showed a Ce, Y mineral.
[bw] Three probes: Certain elements common to all; REE’s appear or disappear depending on spot probed. Numerical values listed below are EDS atomic percents.
AIQ_04Bredo: O-67.72; F-8.39; Si-0.00 ;Y-2.34; Ca-18.22; Ce-3.33
AIQ_04 10kev: O-52.06; F-0.01; Y-2.01; Ca-37.73; Ce-7.34; La-0.85
AIQ04-oxides: F2O-4.01;P2O5-16.79;CaO-61.16;TeO2-9.33;Ce2O-5.27;Gd-3.45
Widely varying F present in all. Appears to be a REE oxide/carbonate? of some kind. IMA search tool best result would be Roentgenite. Ca2(Ce,La)3(CO3)5F3
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.1 - sub 0.1 mm crystals
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: Bob initially had these tentatively identified as donnayite-(Y). [TM] These disks look somewhat like my Unknown #12.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: Best as I [BW] can measure is sub 0.2...I would say 0.15 mm.
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: [BW] This is more typical of some of the MSH stuff (I may be generalizing too much!) in that you can see the individual xls that make up the stack.
Locality: Aggregate Industries Quarry, Raymond, NH
Specimen Size: 0.2 mm. All small stuff...but it's there!
Field Collected (owner): Bob Wilken
Catalog No.:
Notes: [BW] This stack is right on or near calcite. Although the donnayite-(Y) formula is NaCaSr3Y(CO3)6 · 3H2O it apparenly can have barium, neodymium and lanthanum as well according to Wikipedia. It cites a Baker and George Chao MSH analysis as the source. If this indeed is donnayite I guess weloganite , mckelveyite, ewaldite could be possible. Synchesite works in very nicely too as an associating mineral.