The Palermo Mines Mineral Gallery Return to mindatnh front page. Click on image for larger view | |
An alphabetical photo gallery of minerals from the Palermo Mines, N. Groton, NH. (A locality specific photo set from mindatnh.) Set 5: Sillimanite - Zircon Go to Palermo species: A - Falsterite Ferrisicklerite - Hydroxylherderite Jahnsite - Paravauxite Phosphoferrite - Sphalerite | |
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Species: SILLIMANITE Al2SiO5 Locality: Ledge below Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 9 cm specimen with cream-colored sillimanite crystals to 4.5 cm in biotite schist. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 1460 Notes: |
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Species: SILLIMANITE Locality: Ledge below Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: Zoom view of specimen 1460 showing splintery structure of sillimanite crystal section. Field of view 1 cm. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 1460 Notes: |
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Species: SMITHSONITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.8 mm field of view. Field Collected: ex. Forrest Fogg ? Catalog No.: u2224 Notes: The EDS analysis of the malachite on another specimen area showed about a 5% zinc content, so zinc is present in the vacinity of these tiny crystals. These crystals are very lusterous, much more than other Palermo carbonates. |
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Species: SPHALERITE ZnS Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.2 mm sphalerite crystal in albite vug. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer, 2009 Catalog No.: u964 Notes: |
| Species: STEWARTITE Mn2+Fe3+2(PO4)2OH2 · 8H2O Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.4 mm crystal group height Field Collected: Walter Lane Catalog No.: u1269 Notes: Palermo Mine stewartite images are quite rare on the web. Tiny black rockbridgeite balls are in the background. |
Species: STEWARTITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.7 mm stewartite crystal Field Collected: Forrest Fogg - 1973 Catalog No.: TBC Notes: |
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Species: STEWARTITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.5 mm stewartite crystal cluster Field Collected: Forrest Fogg - 1973 Catalog No.: TBC Notes: The fine filaments are strunzite. Photo is from stack of 15 images processed with Helicon Focus. |
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Species: STEWARTITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 5 mm field of view. Stewartite crystal fans with laueite. Field Collected: Forrest Fogg - 1973 Catalog No.: TBC Notes: Photo is from stack of 21 images processed with Helicon Focus. |
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Species: STEWARTITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: Largest crystal 0.6 mm Field Collected: Forrest Fogg Catalog No.: TBC Notes: From Pod 3 rough given by Gordon Jackson |
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Species: STEWARTITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.8 mm field of view Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob. Catalog No.: u2442 Notes: Habit and termination of these tiny yellow crystals suggests stewartite. Photo from a stack of 53 images, Nikon Plan 10 objective lens, Ping-pong ball diffuser, one second exposure for each shot! First try with direct LED lighting was sparkle city ! Jim Nizamoff opined that stewartite is the best guess for these tiny crystals, "I have seen similar occurrences in material I have collected or acquired through Bob. There is a chance that these could be something more interesting but as usual the chemistry will possibly determine that." |
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Species: STRENGITE FePO4·2H2O Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 2 mm field of view. Lavender clusters of Strengite crystals Field Collected: Steve and Janet Cares Catalog No.: u595 Notes: |
Species: STRENGITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.2 cm field of view. Rockbridgeite vug filled with pale lavender strengite crystals. Field Collected: ex. Bill Henderson Catalog No.: A Joe Mulvey specimen, ex. Bill Henderson Notes: |
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Species: STRUNZITE Mn2+Fe3+2(PO4)2(OH)2 · 6H2O Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 6 mm field of view. White, "jackstraw" Strunzite crystals. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer from crate of Palermo Mine rocks given by Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: u919 Notes: |
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Species: STRUNZITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 3 mm field of view, (zoom view 2 mm fov) Field Collected: From a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: u1019 Notes: A stack of 27 images processed with Helicon Focus. |
Species: STRUNZITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 3.5 mm field of view Field Collected: From a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: u1607 Notes: A stack of 37 images processed with Helicon Focus. |
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Species: STRUNZITE in vug of clear apatite Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.6 mm field of view Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob. Catalog No.: u2472 Notes: A photo with diffused LED light to avoid bright flares. This golden stellate spray is less common than the typical jackstray occurrence of strunzite. |
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Species: STRUNZITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.45 mm field of view. Field Collected: From a tub of Palermo rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: u2390 Notes: ID suggested by Jim Nizamoff. |
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Species: TAVORITE LiFe3+PO4(OH,F) Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 6 mm field of view. Sea-green micro-crystaline Tavorite on Rockbridgeite. Field Collected: Forrest Fogg #6287. Gift from Mike Swanson Catalog No.: u856 Notes: Identified by Forrest Fogg, former co-owner of Palermo Mine |
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Species: TODOROKITE Na1-x(Mn,Mg,Al)6O12·3-4H2O Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.7 mm folded lump of chocolate brown Todorokite, center. Field Collected: Gift from Mike Swanson Catalog No.: u854 Notes: |
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Species: TORBERNITE Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2·12H2O Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.4 mm tabular torbernite crystal on rockbridgeite - two views Field Collected: Walter Lane Catalog No.: u1200 Notes: First view with Canon G9 and Meiji EMZ5TR trinocular port. Second view with Canon T3i, Nikon Plan 10 objective lens. (Rotated 180) The T3i photo is better, but rear of crystal still lacks focus. A second T3i attempt was no better. |
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Species: TRIPHYLITE LiFe2+PO4 Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 3 cm specimen of massive Triphylite Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 1402 Notes: Triphylite is the primary phosphate for most Palermo secondary phosphate species. |
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Species: URALOLITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 10 mm field of view. Normal and SW UV illumination. Zoom view 2 mm. Field Collected: Acquired by Gene Bearss - 1992 Catalog No.: A Gene Bearss specimen Notes: Uralolite is not listed in Bob Whitmore's book, The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo. Moraesite, Be2(PO4)(OH) · 4H2O, is listed. Uralolite, Ca2Be4(PO4)3(OH)3 · 5H2O, and moraesite are visually indestinguishable, however, uralolite is fluorescent while moraesite is not. Hydroxylherderite, another beryllium mineral, is also present on this specimen. These acicular crystals have fluorescent tips with non-fluorescent lower portion. Perhaps a zoned moreasite-uralolite? (but I am uncertain if this is structurally possible). UV photos with the microscope require very long exposures. |
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Species: URANINITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 2 mm zones of uraninite altering to pale tan schoepite? (not fluorescent). Over-all specimen is 4.5 cm Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 1438 Notes: Some fluorescence in the bright yellow mineral areas indicating the presence of autunite, but most of the bright yellow mineral crust is likely phosphuranylite or uranophane. |
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Species: VANMEERSSCHEITE Confidence: 5 Chemistry: U6+(UO2)3(PO4)2(OH)6 · 4H2O. Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.6 x 1.4 cm specimen. Field Collected Don Dallaire - 1983 Catalog No.: A Don Dallaire specimen and photos. (Micro crystal photo - Tom Mortimer) Notes: [dd] "Sight id had it as uranophane since it was yellow and radioactive. It appeared to be a crust when I found it but with a better microscope than what I had at the time I saw balls of radiating crystals. I was also suspicious however since it fluoresced a bright green (uranophane has weak fluorescence if any at all). I brought it up to Al Falster [Maine Mineral Museum lab] on my monthly trip and he analyzed it. The EDS scan showed uranium and phosphorous and nothing else (no Na, Ca, Zn, Ba, Pb, Al, Sr, Fe, Cu, K, Mn, Mg or Nd). There were only 5 minerals that fit this. Four were quickly eliminated by other physical characteristics. The crystal is pseudohexagonal in outline but actually is orthorhombic. He tested the refractive indices and all 3 were greater than 1.7 (didn't have liquids for higher). All this info fits the mineral vanmeersscheite: U6+(UO2)3(PO4)2(OH)6 · 4H2O." A follow-up email from Don stated that the vanmeersscheite also has a dim green fluorescence in mid-wave and long-wave UV. |
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Species: VIVIANITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.4 mm vivianite crystal group on messelite Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff Catalog No.: u2301 Notes: |
Species: VIVIANITE with Ludlamite Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 4 mm field of view Field Collected: Walter Lane material Catalog No.: u2363 Notes: |
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Species: VIVIANITE Fe2+3(PO4)2·8H2O Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: Pale blue Vivianite crystals, largest 1 mm Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: u524 Notes: |
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Species: VIVIANITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 2 mm crystal, 2 views Field Collected: From small box of unsorted micros, gift of Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: u1341 Notes: |
Species: VIVIANITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 6 mm flat prismatic vivianite crystal Field Collected: From crate of Palermo rocks given by Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: u1453 Notes: At 6 mm, this is quite large for a Plaermo vivianite crystal. |
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Species: VIVIANITE on whitlockite Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 2 mm radial spray of vivianite on 0.8 mm clear whitlockite crystal Field Collected: Dana Jewell - collected underground Catalog No.: A Gene Bearss specimen - "93TDJ" Notes: I found capturing the dark blue vivianite with the lustrous clear whitlockite to be very difficult. This is a huge dynamic range challenge for a digital camera. I have not seen the fan-like presentation of vivianite on a Palermo specimen previously. |
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Species: VIVIANITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.2 mm radial spray of vivianite Field Collected: Dana Jewell - collected underground Catalog No.: A Gene Bearss specimen - "93TDJ" Notes: |
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Species: VIVIANITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 6 mm field of view Field Collected: From a crate of phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: TBC Notes: This specimen has been cleaned with iron-out and ultrasonic, but still has some residue coating. The matrix was quite frayable, so I quit will I still had some! |
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Species: VIVIANITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: The largest xl is 1.5 mm long. Field Collected: ex. Jim Warner Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen Notes: [bw] This is a specimen we purchased with a "collection" of Palermo minerals from Jim Warner back in 2003. I think he had bought material from Whitmore and he broke it down and sold a bunch of it. |
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Species: VIVIANITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1 mm tabular vivianite crystal Field Collected: Steve Cares Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen Notes: [bw] A fat 1.0 mm tabular xl against a nice white UK background (messelite?) amid green ludlamite background. |
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Species: WARDITE NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4 · 2H2O Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.5 mm crystal Field Collected: Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen Notes: |
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Species: WARDITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: Cluster of wardite crystals. Largest crystal is 1.7 mm Field Collected: From a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: u1880 Notes: Blue scorzalite at base of photo. Stack of 22 images processed with Helicon Focus |
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Species: WARDITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: Pair of wardite crystals. 2.3 mm field of view Field Collected: From a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: u1880 Notes: A note in the tub that contained this specimen said: "From loc of best whitlockite '67." |
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Species: WARDITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 4.4 cm field of view Field Collected: Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: A Don Dallaire collection specimen Notes: These are very large wardites for the Palermo Mine. |
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Species: WHITEITE (Mn2+,Ca)(Fe2+,Mn2+)Mg2Al2(PO4)4(OH)2 · 8H2O Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.2 mm cluster (Very small) of pale tan whiteite crystals on fairfieldite. Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff Catalog No.: u1034 Notes: EDS identification by Jim Nazamoff as part of his thesis on the Palermo #2 Pegmatite at the University of New Orleans. |
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Species: WHITEITE Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: Top photo 3.5 mm field of view. Lower photo - 2 mm field of view Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff Catalog No.: TBC Notes: Jim Nizamoff stated that whiteite is usually found associated with fairfieldite, as is the case here. Note the flat, to slightly off-axis, terminations of these whiteite crystals, a noted characteristic of Palermo #2 whiteite. A follow-on email from Jim said: "specimen is a trim from a larger piece that was used for the painting by Fred Wilda in Bob's book. I thought that particular piece had the most aesthetic whiteite I had seen at Palermo No. 2. ... Wish I had a lot more like that, usually whiteite is really tiny." |
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Species: WHITEITE Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.3 mm field of view. Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff Catalog No.: TBC Notes: |
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Species: WHITEITE Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1 mm field of view Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff Catalog No.: u2127 Notes: Whiteite was one of the phosphates Jim analyzed for his UNO thesis on the Palermo #2 Mine. Jim's 2006 thesis stated on page 105: "Whiteite-(MnFeMg), whiteite-(CaFeMg) and whiteite-(CaMnMg) form brown to light tan to nearly colorless radiating sprays and aggregates of prismatic monoclinic crystals to 1.5 mm in size. Whiteite crystallizes in non-oxidizing to slightly oxidizing conditions and is often associated with paravauxite-gordonite, scorzalite-lazulite, fairfieldite-messelite and gormanite-souzalite." Zones of micro fairfieldite crystals are present on this specimen. |
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Species: WHITEITE Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.9 mm field of view. Tiny tan crystal groups. Field Collected: Walter Lane? Catalog No.: u2295 Notes: Whiteite indicated by EDS analysis, (BC370, set27). |
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Species: WHITLOCKITE Ca9Mg(PO3OH)(PO4)6 Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH (Type Locality) Specimen Size: 1 cm field of view, 1 mm iron-stained Whitlockite crystals Field Collected: From crate of Palermo rocks given by Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: u861 Notes: |
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Species: WHITLOCKITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1 mm clear whitlockite crystal with yellow laueite. Field Collected: From crate of Palermo rocks given by Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: u1008 Notes: The host matrix is rhombic siderite crystals. |
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Species: WHITLOCKITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: Translucent rhombic whitlockite crystals to 1.5 mm. Field Collected: Bob Janules Catalog No.: u122 Notes: |
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Species: WHITLOCKITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.8 mm clear tabular whitlockite crystal on siderite with coated palermoite crystals in foreground. Field Collected: From small box of unsorted micros, gift of Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: u1344 Notes: The intimate association of palermoite with whitlockite in siderite vugs is common in pod 3 material as noted in The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo. Micro goedkenite crystals are also present on this specimen. The gunky, resinous, couating is very difficult to remove. |
Species: WHITLOCKITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: Pair of 2 mm clear whitlockite crystals Field Collected: Walter Lane 1995-96, Cat. #3123 Catalog No.: A Gene Bearss collection specimen Notes: Stack of 22 images processed with Helicon Focus. |
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Species: WHITLOCKITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.8 mm whitlockite crystal on whitlockite Field Collected: Forrest Fogg Catalog No.: TBC Notes: |
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Species: WHITLOCKITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: Pair of 11 mm clear-milky whitlockite crystals in vug with siderite crystals. Second photo is of 0.7 mm whitlockite crystal on siderite spear. Field Collected: Dana Jewell Catalog No.: u2116 Notes: These are very large whitlockite crystals. Their position in the vug makes it difficult to show their crystal form. The smaller crystals in the vug are more photogenic. |
Species: WHITLOCKITE - with dusting of mitridatite Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.3 mm field of view. Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob. Catalog No.: TBC Notes: |
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Species: WHITLOCKITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 2.0 mm clear crystal, with line drawing second photo Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob. Catalog No.: u2448 Notes: [tm] The crystal shape suggests wardite, but the crystal lacks the lateral striations that are usually present on wardite. Palermoite and type 3 goyazite were also found in proximity to this crystal. Jim Nizamoff opined: This "is most likely whitlockite based on the appearance and siderite host. In my experience wardite mainly occurs in the hydrothermal quartz veins and is usually found with/near altered albite (probably source of the Na)." |
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Species: WHITMOREITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH (Type Locality) Specimen Size: 0.6 mm "naval mine" habit whitemoreite Field Collected: From crate of Palermo Mine rocks given by Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: Notes: |
| Species: WHITMOREITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: A 1 mm "naval mine" Field Collected: Walter Lane Catalog No.: u1270 Notes: |
Species: WHITMOREITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.7 mm whitmoreite "navel mine" on siderite Field Collected: Forrest Fogg - 1973 Catalog No.: u1425 Notes: |
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Species: WHITMOREITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1 mm cluster of Whitmoreite crystals Field Collected: Janet & Steve Cares, 1979 Catalog No.: u594 Notes: This is a new photo of my New Hampshire species display specimen. A small, blocky, jahnsite group crystal is present near the center. This whitmoreite habit is "type 5" as illustrated on page 173 of Whitmore and Lawrence's book The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo. |
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Species: WHITMOREITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1 mm field of view Field Collected: Janet & Steve Cares, 1979 Catalog No.: u594 Notes: This whitmoreite cluster is also on my New Hampshire species display specimen. This whitmoreite habit is likely "type 2" as illustrated on page 172 of Whitmore and Lawrence's book The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo. Note the chisel terminations. |
Species: WHITMOREITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.6 mm field of view. Whitmoreite on mitridatite coated siderite rhombs. Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob. Catalog No.: u2439 Notes: |
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Species: WHITMOREITE Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.4 mm across whitmoreite navel mine. Field Collected: From a tub gifted by Bob Whitmore Catalog No.: u2519 Notes: |
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Species: WHITMOREITE Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.78 mm whitmoreite naval mine Field Collected: Bob Wilken Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen Notes: |
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Species: WOLFEITE (Fe2+,Mn2+)2(PO4)(OH) Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH (Type Locality) Specimen Size: 2.7 cm specimen width. Wolfeite, dark red, in Triphylite. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 1420 Notes: |
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Species: WOLFEITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 2 cm specimen with massive, wine-red, wolfeite Field Collected: From the Janet Cares collection - Collected 1976 Catalog No.: TBC Notes: At Palermo, wolfeite is usually found embedded in, or associated with, triphylite, as is the case here. |
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Species: WOLFEITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 8 mm zone of massive, wine-red, wolfeite embedded in triphylite Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1970's Catalog No.: 612 Notes: |
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Species: XANTHOXENITE Ca4Fe3+2(PO4)4(OH)2 · 3H2O Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH (Type Locality) Specimen Size: 6 mm fov, yellow-brown, waxy, amorphous, Xanthoxenite in center Field Collected: Purchased from Excalibur Minerals, Peekskill, NY. They performed analysis. Catalog No.: 1536 Notes: |
Species: XANTHOXENITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 0.1 mm (TINY!) xanthoxenite crystals on rockbridgeite Field Collected: Bob Whitmore 1974 Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen Notes: This xanthoxenite crystal habit is the one illustrated in The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo. |
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Species: XANTHOXENITE-? Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: Yellow crystals are about 0.15 mm across. Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob. Catalog No.: u2433 Notes: Xanthoxenite is a tentative ID. These xanthoxenite crystals compare favorably those illustrated in The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo and with the Bob Whitmore specimen above. |
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Species: ZANAZZIITE Ca2(Mg,Fe)(Mg,Fe,Al)4Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 2 mm fov. Cluster of acicular Zanazziite crystals. Childrenite crystals top left. Field Collected: A purchased specimen Catalog No.: u724 Notes: |
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Species: ZANAZZIITE Confidence: 4 Chemistry: Ca2(Mg,Fe)(Mg,Fe,Al)4Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton,, NH Specimen Size: Top photo - 1.5 mm field of view. Bottom photo - 3 mm field of view. Field Collected: Bob Wilken Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo Analysis: Segelerite was Bob's initial choice from the EDS analysis, PAL134. Chemistry from EDS analysis: Ca2Mg2.23(Fe1.90,Mn0.25)(PO4)6.52O50 , normalized for 2 Ca. A reasonably good fit for segelerite, with some Mn substituting for Fe, a bit high on the P and ignoring the bit of Ti & Ba. Allocation of O between (OH) and dot H2O unknown. Visually, this segelerite is a good match for several mindat.org photos of this species, particularly mindat segelerite photo . However a 2019 study of Palermo zanazziite, a beryllium mineral, that included reviews by Jim Nizamoff, convinced Bob that zanazziite was the best ID choice. Note that Be is not detectable by EDS. |
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Species: ZANAZZIITE Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 2.8 cm specimen Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1997 Catalog No.: 217 Notes: This specimen has been in the NH Species Display as Fairfieldite for several years. It was visually identified by Bob Whitmore as fairfieldite. I understood that this was the spherical form of Fairfieldite referred to in Bob Whitmore's book, The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo. A first polished grain EDS analysis (BC77) indicated a Ca, Mg, Fe, phosphate with a Ca:Fe:Mg:P ratio of 2:1:1.4:5. No Mn was detected, essential for fairfieldite. Fairfieldite chemistry is: Ca2(Mn2+,Fe2+)(PO4)2 · 2H2O One species possibility is segelerite: CaMgFe(PO4)2(OH) · 4H2O , but the cation ratios are off. A second polished grain EDS analysis (BC77a) of one of these white balls gave a result for which suggested collinsite. Collinsite chemistry is: Ca2(Mg,Fe2++)(PO4)2 · 2H2O The analysis suggests a chemistry (normalized for 2 P): Ca0.86(Mg0.41,Fe0.57)(PO4)2 ... but the Ca is low and the result is deficient by about 8 oxygen for collinsite. Jim Nizamoff opined (6/17) that this specimen "has too much Fe to be a viable candidate" for collinsite. These radial balls show color zoning so perhaps the chemistry varies along the radius. A detailed 2019 investigation of this specimen, including additional EDS testing and Raman analysis, concluded this is zanazziite. A pdf of an article on this study was published in the April, 2019 MMNE newsletter, and is available here: Zanazziite Identification (pdf) |
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Species: ZANAZZIITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1 mm field of view Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff Catalog No.: u2095 Notes: |
Species: ZANAZZIITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 4.5 mm field of view Field Collected: Bob Janules Catalog No.: 1729 Notes: Moraesite and pale green beryl are also present on this TN specimen. |
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Species: ZANAZZIITE Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 4 mm field of view Field Collected: Bob Janules Catalog No.: 1729 Notes: Moraesite and pale green beryl are also present on this TN specimen. |
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Species: ZANAZZIITE Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1.2 mm field of view, top photo Field Collected: Bob Wilken Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen Notes: A visual ID by Jim Nizamoff |
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Species: ZIRCON ZrSiO4 Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH Specimen Size: 1 mm red-brown zircon crystal. Field Collected: Found embedded in gormanite rock sample given by Jim Nizamoff Catalog No.: u1304 Notes: This zircon does not fluoresce. |
Go to Palermo species: A - Falsterite Ferrisicklerite - Hydroxylherderite Jahnsite - Paravauxite Phosphoferrite - Sphalerite Sillimanite - Zircon (this page) |