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28 species, 123 mineral photos, 2 site photos, 2 site maps, 6 EDS analyses.
The definitive article on this locality was by Scott Whittemore and Bob Janules (1990) "Pegmatite and Miarolitic Cavity Minerals of North Sugarloaf Mountain Bethlehem, New Hampshire". Rocks & Minerals, 65 (4) 338-347. Although the early attaraction of this locality was for the dark black large smoky quartz crystals, collecting by Whittemore and Janules discovered an extensive suite of uncommon and rare species.
Unfortunately, the "Forrest Service" has posted this locality as off limits. The sign at the Zealand trail head says "Surface collecting for mineral collecting is PROHIBITED outside designated mineral collecting areas. The use of any hand tool constitutes surface disturbance."
My [tm] N. Sugarloaf specimens were collected in the 1970's and 1980's. Several of the rarest specimens were the gifts of Bob Janules.
Given that North Sugarloaf is known as a smoky quartz locality, it is surprising that there are so few smoky quartz photos on mindat.org. only two 5/2026.
Starting in 1974, the NMS had many field trips to this locality.
The cavity yielded many large microcline crystals and many uncommon micro species.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 3.4 cm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 817
Notes: Cream-colored albite
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm blocky anatase crystal on albite
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u271
Notes: Whittemore and Janules stated in their Jul/Aug 1990 Rocks & Minerals article on this North Sugarloaf locality: "Black, lustrous, blocky, almost cubic crystals (associated with albite and microcline) that have been observed in a few samples have also been identified as anatase by X-ray defraction studies." This is a typical example of that habit.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: Lustrous, blue-black, anatase crystals on albite. Largest crystal is 0.15 mm.
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u1103
Notes: These crystals are TINY!
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 4 mm anatase crystal cluster
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: "Pseudo-cubic" anatase habit has been observed on several N. Sugarloaf specimens. A mass of anatase crystals like this is unusual.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.0 mm orange, tabular, crystal on clear Fluorite
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u068
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 3.3 mm crystal group
Field Collected: Gene Bearss (1987)
Catalog No.: A Gene Bearss collection specimen
Notes: Identification by Gene Bearss
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: Crystal group mounted on porcupine quill. Photo from a stack of 60 images with Nikon Plan 10 objective.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.1 mm bastnasite-(Ce) crystal group
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: Crystal group mounted on porcupine quill. Photo from a stack of 35 images with Nikon Plan 10 objective.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2.0 mm bastnasite-(Ce) crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: [tm] If the white coating were cleaned from this crystal it would photo much better.
Crystal mounted on porcupine quill. Photo from a stack of 48 images with Nikon Plan 10 objective.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.2 mm bastnasite-(Ce) crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: There is an out of focus, small, vertically oriented, bastnasite crystal on the surface of the larger crystal.
Crystal mounted on porcupine quill. Photo from a stack of 24 images with Nikon Plan 10 objective.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm bastnasite-(Ce) crystal with red danalite
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: Photo from a stack of 11 images with Meiji trinocular scope.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.2 mm pale blue bazzite crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules. Label gives date as "10/90"
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: This hexagonal bazzite crystal is very tiny, deep within a vug recess. It is remarkable that Bob spotted it. Some clear tabular bertrandite crystals are near by.
This is the only N. Sugarloaf bazzite that I have personally viewed. Very rare.
A difficult photograph, but I desired to document bazzite at N. Sugarloaf.
The photo exagerates the blue color, perhaps due to the LED light source and photoshop post processing.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.8 mm crystal, two views
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules collection specimen
Notes:
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm clear, bladed, crystals
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u069
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2.3 mm bertrandite crystal. Two views to show long, narrow habit.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u1470
Notes: Bertrandite at N. Sugarloaf is observed to have many different habits, from elongated single crystals such as this one, to prismatic sprays, to flattened tabular "V" twins.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.6 mm bertrandite triling on danalite
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: Two photos. 2.5 mm field of view top photo. Bertrandite with danalite
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.6 mm bertrandite triling on phenakite (out of focus)
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 5 mm specimen. Bertrandite, bastnasite-(Ce), on danalite
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: A tan colored tabular bastnasite is at the base of the large bertrandite cluster.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.7 mm field of view. Bertrandite on danalite
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm field of view.
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 6 mm specimen. Bertrandite on quartz crystal.
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: A stack of 54 images through Meiji scope. A larger specimen with a lot to get into focus. I made two attempts. Not a particularly satisfying result.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.7 mm bertrandite crystal group
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: A stack of 27 images with Nikon objective.
Locality: Boulder field, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.2 mm cluster bertrandite crystals, two views
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2378
Notes: Collected from the large boulder pipe in the boulder field. These are thin, platy, bertrandite crystals. The bertrandite crystals from the N. Sugarloaf smoky quartz area are prismatic (multiple photos on this web site).
Not a lot of contrast available for this small crystal group.
Top photo taken with Canon SL3 and Nikon Plan 10 objective, a stack of 20 images. Lower photo with Canon G9 through Meiji trinocular scope, a stack of 6 images. The Meiji scope configuration provides about a 90 mm working distance, permitting a much better lighting angle than the Plan 10 photo with but an 11 mm working distance.
Third photo with Canon SL3, 4x objective, 25 mm working distance, 50 image stack.
Note the vertical line twin plane of the foreground crystal shows in all photos.
Locality: Boulder field, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.8 mm clear, blocky, bertrandite crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u2788
Notes: A $3 purchase at the 2026 Micromounters of New England symposium.
Locality: North Sugarloaf Mtn. Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 18 cm specimen with several beryl crystals in milky gray quartz and 1 cm zone of wine red danalite near top-right
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: As noted by the Whittmore & Janules article "North Sugarloaf Mountain" in Rocks & Minerals vol. 65, No. 4, July - Aug, 1990, "Pale green, crude prismatic beryl crystals to 20 cm were found at the smoky quartz site, embedded in the quartz and feldspar,... closely associated with danalite."
As they are somewhat crudely formed, few of these beryls were saved by collectors. This is a representative example of the occurrence.
Locality: North Sugarloaf Mtn. Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 8 cm specimen
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.:
Notes: Another example of the beryl occurrence at N. Sugarloaf Mtn.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn. Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 6 mm zoom view, portion of speceimen 441
Field Collected: Mike Undercofler
Catalog No.: 441
Notes:
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 3 cm specimen
Field Collected: Mike Undercofler
Catalog No.: 441
Notes:
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.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 3.2 mm crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: Crystal has many internal reflections.
This crystal is mounted on a quill, so a true micromount.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: Larger crystal 1.4 mm
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u2090
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.8 mm crystal cluster
Field Collected: Bob Willken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: Previous analyses of N. Sugarloaf similar specimens have shown them to be of intermediate composition between Columbite-(Fe) and Tantalite-(Fe).
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn. Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2.3 cm high specimen.
Field Collected: Gene Bearss
Catalog No.: 2087
Notes: A polished grain EDS analysis BC274, showed an iron dominant niobium mineral. Interesting that the Ta plot peak is much higher than the Nb peak, but the atomic percent (in table) of Nb is much greater than the atomic percent of Ta. This demonstrates the difference between the element abundance ratio implied by the plot and the element atomic percents computed by the EDS instrument software after applying the ZAF and instrument calibration corrections. This is a lesson in "do not read too much into relative peak values."
The APFU calculated from the EDS atomic percents gives: (Fe3.51,Mn0.95)(Nb1.53,Ta0.46)O20.7 , normalized for Nb + Ta = 2. Columbite-(Fe) chemistry is: FeNb2O6 . This Sugarloaf analysis shows about twice as much Fe + Mn as columbite-(Fe) should have. Unsure what to make of this.
Specimen backside has nice micro bertrandite.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm field of view. Termination end of columbite-tantalite blade.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - May, 1989
Catalog No.: u149
Notes: Analysis done for 1990 R&M article indicated a composition intermediate between ferrococombite and ferrotantalite. An EDS analysis of a massive chunk of this showed about a 4:1 ratio of Fe:Mn.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: Label says "SEM# GFS025"
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 3 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes:
Locality: North Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.7 mm field of view.
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules collection specimen
Notes: Photo with Canon T3i plus Nikon Plan 10 microscope objective. Helicon Focus, method B, 45 images.
Locality: North Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm danalite crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules collection specimen
Notes: Photo with Canon T3i plus Nikon Plan 10 microscope objective. Helicon Focus, method B, 26 images.
Locality: North Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules collection specimen
Notes: Photo with Canon T3i plus B&L microscope objective. Helicon Focus, method B, 31 images.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1 cm specimen
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: 441
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 cm ectched, zoned, fluorite octahedral crystal, head-on view with back light illumination.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 123
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn. Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: Middle crystal is 0.7 mm. Clear cubo-octahedral crystals with purple octahedral faces.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u231
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn. Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: Largest crystal is 1.5 mm
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u231 - another area of this specimen
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 6 mm field of view. Milky fluorite cubes to 1.7 mm with purple octahedral facets
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u1466
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm fluorite cube with purple octahedral facets
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u1464
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm fluorite crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - June, 1989
Catalog No.: u172
Notes: These cubic clear fluorites with purple octahedral facits are quite photogenic. Although I had photoed a few of these before, I thought I would try a few more.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.2 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - June, 1989
Catalog No.: u172
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 3 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u271
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm tall gadolinite-(Y,Ce) crystal group, two views
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 644
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.8 mm gadolinite crystal on quartz
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - May, 1989
Catalog No.: u087
Notes: Reference: "Pegmatite and Miarolitic Cavity Minerals of North Sugarloaf Mountain Bethlehem New Hampshire", Whittemore and Janules, Rocks & Minerals, Vol. 65, No. 4. "SEM EDS analysis .... showed compositions intermediate between gadolinite-(Y) and gadolinite-(Ce)"
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2 cm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 1142
Notes:
Locality: Smoky Quartz Locale, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 7.5 mm vertical cluster
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1984
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: Two photos, both with SOLUX lighting, but second with diffuser. A polished grain EDS analyses from this specimen indicated Ce > Y or Nd, so this is gadolinite-Ce.
Al Falster (Maine Mineral Museum lab) provided this EDS analyses on a Don Dallaire specimen collected by Mike Undercofler.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf smoky quartz locale, Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 17 mm specimen
Field Collected: Mike Undercofler
Catalog No.: A Don Dallaire specimen. Don Dallaire photo.
Notes: Gadolinite-(Nd) identification by Al Falster, 9/21.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 4 mm field of view, two photos plus, overall specimen
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes:
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u647
Notes: Genthelvite identified by Dr. Eugene Ford
Locality: Talus slope, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: EDS analyzed # EZS003. ??
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn. Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.2 mm crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u647
Notes: This is a second, much smaller, genthelvite crystal on specimen #u647. This is at the limit of what I can photograph.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Talus slope, Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 4.0 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: EDS analyzed by Gene Foord, # GFS028.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Talus slope, Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.9 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: Very unusual blue genthelvite. A similar specimen was EDS analyzed by Gene Foord, # GFS028.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2.2 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - May, 1989
Catalog No.: u051
Notes:
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.4 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 4 mm tall hingganite-Y cluster
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: A smoky quartz crystal in background.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.1 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes:At N. Sugarloaf, hingganite is frequently associated wit fluorite.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: A partial view of a no matrix cluster Bob mounted on a quill. Only on perimeter could I get some crystal definition. The terminations are different on this one.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 5 mm crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 650
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn. Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 7 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 651
Notes: Seven image stack with Helicon Focus.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 9 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2555
Notes: These ilmenite crystals have an iridescent tarnish.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes:
Locality: Boulder field locality, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 8 cm crystal.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 419
Notes: This microcline crystal has a thin tan limonite coating.
Locality: Boulder field locality, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 3.5 cm crystal with Miller index face labels.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 422
Notes: Markers with crystal face indicies have been applied to this specimen, (hopefully correctly!).
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn. Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 11 cm specimen with frosty white hyalite opal on feldspar.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 421
Notes: This spongy feldspar mass has vugs with cubic fluorite, rhombic siderite, and yellow muscovite balls.
Locality: South Baldface Mtn, Chatham, NH
Specimen Size: Crystal measures 16 x 10 x 7.5 mm, two views.
Field Collected: Cliff Trebilcock - 1962
Catalog No.: A Cliff Trebilcock specimen
Notes:
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.0 mm clear phenakite crystal. Quill mount photo show rhombic habit.
Field Collected: Bob Janules 12/92
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: Crystal mounted on porcupine quill - a true micromount.
Locality: Smoky quartz site, North Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm phenakite crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules collection specimen
Notes: Photo with Canon T3i plus B&L microscope objective. Helicon Focus, method B, 39 images.
Locality: Smoky quartz site, North Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 3.5 mm phenakite crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules collection specimen
Notes: Photo with Canon T3i plus B&L microscope objective. Helicon Focus, method B, 31 images.
Locality: Smoky quartz site, North Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.9 mm phenakite crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules collection specimen
Notes: A tiny bit of red danalite is just visible in the top left corner of this photo.
Photo with Canon T3i plus B&L microscope objective. Helicon Focus, method B, 31 images.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Unknown
Catalog No.: u2365
Notes: Crystals are very lusterous. Unbroken, but very irregular termination. Substrate is smoky quartz with a bit of albite at the base.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.8 mm phenakite crystal
Field Collected: Unknown
Catalog No.: u2365
Notes: Small tan crystals on the left are prismatic zircons.
Locality: Boulder field Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm pale-yellow, octahedral, Plumbopyrochlore crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u580
Notes: Identification by Dr. Eugene Foord, mineralogist of the Smithsonial Instution. At the time of ID, plumbopyrochlore was considered a distinct species, but is now considered a varietal member of the pyrochlore group.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn. Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 8 mm field of view. Tested mineral is resinous brown upper center and mid center.
Field Collected: Gene Bearss
Catalog No.: 2089
Notes: A carbon tape mounted grain EDS analysis BC288A, showed a Nb, Ta, U, Ca mineral. The tiny bit of Al is likely surface contaminent.
This specimen gives a weak response on my scintillometer.
Fred Davis contributed: "Not a super great fit for Ercit plot (it's missing lots of elements like Y, LREE, HREE, Ti, Pb, etc). But I plugged in the data and [generated this plot]. Suggested mineral is a pyrochlore (Ercit preceded the whole renaming debacle.) It does sorta fit with the old Handbook of Mineralogy data for uranpyrochlore. Nb-dominant pyrochlore is certainly better than microlite which is Ta-dominant."
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2.8 cm crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 548
Notes: The smoky quartz crystals from N. Sugarloaf are are very dark black. Most larger ones are opaque. Several unusual crystal forms are present.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 8 cm specimen
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 807
Notes:
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 7.5 cm specimen
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 817
Notes:
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 8 cm double terminated, tessin habit, crystal, two views
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - Aug. 1975
Catalog No.: 106
Notes: Only one small 8 mm possible point of attachment. A remarkable crystal.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 3.6 cm tall specimen
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1977
Catalog No.: 203 - set
Notes: Tessin habit quartz
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 3.0 cm crystal, only 4 mm thick
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1977
Catalog No.: 203 - set
Notes: Interesting vertical twin? plane.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 cm tall, double terminated crystal, only 3 mm thick
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1977
Catalog No.: 203 - set
Notes: Complete, thin, tabular, crystals were found at the smoky quartz area.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 4.0 cm tall crystal group
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1977
Catalog No.: 203 - set
Notes: Rear crystal shows tessin habit.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 12.5 cm tall crystal group
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1974
Catalog No.: 103
Notes: Penny for size. Most photos on my site are micros.... not this one !
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 13.5 cm tall crystal group
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1974
Catalog No.: NC
Notes: Penny for size. From a large pocket with large parallel growth plates.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 12 cm crystal group
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1974
Catalog No.: NC
Notes: Jumble of crystals from pocket bottom. Uncleaned.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 3.5 cm crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1974
Catalog No.: 083 - set
Notes: A typical crystal
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 2.7 cm crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1974
Catalog No.: 083 - set
Notes: Unusual off-axis termination
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 3 cm specimen with black, sub-metalic samarskite-(Y) in feldspar.
Field Collected: Gene Bearss
Catalog No.: 2090
Notes: Polished grain EDS analyses (BC264 & BC279) indicated samarskite-(Y). There is an unlabeled Y peak between the Ta and Nb peaks. Fred Davis computed Ercit plots ( Ercit plot 1 , Ercit plot 2 ) from these analyses.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn. Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 5.3 cm specimen with 1.3 cm jet black samarskite mineral at top.
Field Collected: Gene Bearss
Catalog No.: 2089
Notes: A polished grain EDS analysis BC275B, showed a Nb, Ta, Fe, Y, U, mineral. The tiny bit of Se is likely a miss-identification by the instrument element assignment software.
This specimen gives a moderate response on my scintillometer.
Fred Davis opined: "the general trend for quantities of elements [for this specimen] doesn't fit [samarskite] (Fe and Y+REE swap places, quantity-wise). Qualitatively, yes, the elements are present but including quantity takes the match process up a notch with a little more certainty. None of [these possible] species has that much iron. [summarizing]:
Yttrocolumbite Nb+Ta > Y+REE > U+Th > Fe
Petscheckite Nb+Ta > U+Th > Fe > Y+REE
Ishikawaite Nb+Ta > U+Th > Fe > Y+REE
Samarskite Nb+Ta > Y+REE > U+Th > Fe
[This] N. Sugarloaf Nb+Ta > Fe > U > Y "
Locality: Boulder field area, North Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 4.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u570
Notes: Chocolate brown siderite rhomb cluster. Yellow balls are some mica mineral.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 3 cm specimen with 8 mm radial structure Columbite-(Fe) / Tantalite-(Fe)
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 1881
Notes: Columbite-(Fe), Tantalite-(Fe), identification by EDS analysis .
Analyst said: "Intermediate Ferrocolumbite/Ferrotantalite." [tm] My experience is that an EDS Ta peak often overstates the tantalum content.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.6 mm crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u115
Notes: Xenotime was identified by EDS analysis by Dr. Eugene Foord
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.6 mm crystal group
Field Collected: Gene Bearss (1987)
Catalog No.: A Gene Bearss collection specimen
Notes: Identification by Gene Bearss
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm xenotime crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u570
Notes: A stack of 23 images processed with Helicon Focus.
This small crystal gave its life to science. When I went to put it back into its micro box, the crystal had fallen off.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.1 mm xenotime crystal on red danalite. Very tiny!
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: Photo from a stack of 9 images with Nikon Plan 10 objective in 0.01 mm steps.
Locality: Boulder field, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.5 mm xenotime crystal group
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2378 ?
Notes: Collected from the large boulder pipe in the boulder field. All the NS xenotimes I have seen have come from the smoky quartz area. This is first I have from the boulder pipe.
[tm] I made 4 attempts at this group. This was best, but not particularly satisfying.
Locality: Boulder field, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.45 mm xenotime crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2378
Notes: Collected from the large boulder pipe in the boulder field.
Locality: Boulder field, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.2 mm xenotime crystal, two photos
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2379
Notes: Testing my macro photography limits. A 0.2 mm N. Sugarloaf xenotime, 2 attempts. A lustrous clear crystal with some inclusions. First photo with some reflective light off the forward face, emphasizes the morphology, but at expense of crystal transparency. No idea what that reddish turd is across the front face. Both with stacks of about 35 images.
Locality: Smoky Quartz Area, N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 0.2 mm crystal
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u2487
Notes: Very tiny, a 0.2 mm crystal. Without some reflection off a face, it disappears in the clear albite matrix. The second view is cropped and rotated so the C axis is up-down.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: Acicular zircon crystals to 9 mm embedded in iron-stained quartz.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u050
Notes: These extreme prismatic zircon crystals are quite unusual. They are moderately common at this locality. This zircon group is not fluorescent. The Rocks and Minerals article on the North Sugarloaf locality by Whittemore and Janules (Vol. 65, No. 4) noted (pg. 343) EDS analysis "revealed the presence of minor uranium and hafnium" in these crystals.
Locality: N. Sugarloaf Mtn., Bethlehem, NH
Specimen Size: 1.2 mm prismatic zircon crystal cluster in albite vug.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u172
Notes: This group was quite deep within the vug, so difficult to get a lot of light onto it. Most of the prismatic zircon crystals at the N. Sugarloaf locality are embedded in feldspar. Free-standing zircon crystals are uncommon. The yellow crusty mineral on the zircon is likely mica. This zircon group is not fluorescent.