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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4900
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Apr 07, 2011 10:13 Post subject: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - Minnesota |
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Minnesota, the "North Star State"
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Calcite Hovland, Cook County, Minnesota, USA 6.6 cm. x 5.2 cm. Photo: Bob Weaver
One image of a Calcite, kindly supplied by Bob Weaver for Minessota, a state where apparently is hard to find minerals from.
Again, thank you Bob! |
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rweaver
Joined: 13 Apr 2009
Posts: 259
Location: Ridgecrest, California
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Posted: Apr 07, 2011 19:12 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - Minnesota |
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Bought through an auction
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Copper on Calcite St Louis Co., Minnesota 3.8cm x 3.1cm |
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rweaver
Joined: 13 Apr 2009
Posts: 259
Location: Ridgecrest, California
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Posted: Apr 07, 2011 19:15 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - Minnesota |
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rare from the state
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Rhodochrosite St. Louis Co., Minnesota 4.2cm x 3.1cm |
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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Posted: Apr 07, 2011 19:17 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - Minnesota |
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Nice rhodo and copper specimens. I though only ice cubes came from Minne-so-cold. ;=)
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rweaver
Joined: 13 Apr 2009
Posts: 259
Location: Ridgecrest, California
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Posted: Apr 07, 2011 19:20 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - Minnesota |
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My last one from the state
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Groutite Robert Mine, Cuyuna Iron Range, Crow Wing Co., Minnesota 4.0cm x 4.0cm |
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Groutite Robert Mine, Cuyuna Iron Range, Crow Wing Co., Minnesota 4.0cm x 4.0cm |
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John Nash
Joined: 24 Jun 2011
Posts: 34
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Posted: Nov 26, 2011 20:50 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - Minnesota |
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Minnesota is not known for having much beyond agates for mineral collectors. However, it turns out that if one is persistent, interesting finds can be had in the lava flows along the North Shore (the north eastern coast along Lake Superior). I thank Mike Hedtke for showing me one terrific locality, the Knife River. I thank persistence and luck for the rest! Here are a number of my Minnesota specimens, beginning with those from the Knife River.
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Natrolite Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA 9 X 6 X 3.5 cm A 4.5 cm pocket filled with natrolite or a closely related species. |
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Copper, minor chrysocolla Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA Specimen 12 X 9 X 6 cm Field of view is about 4 cm, the main rough crystal is 2.5 cm and protrudes up out of the matrix. |
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Kinoite in calcite Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA Specimen 7 X 6 X 5 cm, Field of view 2 cm A one time find of kinoite in calcite. |
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Prehnite epimorphs of laumontite Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA 6 X 5 X 4 cm Beautiful orange prehnite epimorphs of laumontite. |
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Prehnite epipmorphs of laumontite Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA 5 cm field of view |
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Prehnite Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA Field of view 2.5 cm Most remarkable iridescent orange prehnite, metallic blue and purple flashes are amazing in person. I've found only a few examples in 5 years of visiting the locale. |
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Prehnite, minor copper Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA 8 X 6 X 5 cm Gemmy light green prehnite, some copper inside. |
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Prehnite Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA 9 X 7 X 4 Orange iridescent prehnite. So lovely in person, look at the close-up! Another one-time find, one boulder from the river, discovered by my son Greg. |
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Prehnite Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA Field of view about 6 cm The light blue iridescence on this orange prehnite is stunning. |
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_________________ John K. Nash, Ph.D. |
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John Nash
Joined: 24 Jun 2011
Posts: 34
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Posted: Nov 26, 2011 21:23 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - Minnesota |
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Here are examples of wonderful finds from the North Shore of Minnesota. I've found these calcites and apophyllites with my son Greg, plus one huge calcite from an agate dealer. I haven't seen well-crystallized apophyllite from Minnesota before.
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Apophyllite on calcite Onion River, near Lutsen, Cook County, Minnesota, USA 3.5 X 3 X 3 cm A stubby little calcite crystal with many clear apophyllites growing on the top. |
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Apophyllite on calcite Onion River, near Lutsen, Cook County, Minnesota, USA 6.5 X 4 X 4 cm A fine calcite crystal with a number of clear apophyllites on it. |
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Calcite with apophyllite Onion River, near Lutsen, Cook County, Minnesota, USA 9 X 7 X 6 cm Two calcites, entwined like lovers, with a few apophyllites. |
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Calcite and laumontite Onion River, near Lutsen, Cook County, Minnesota, USA 3 X 1.5 cm From the same pocket as the apophyllite. |
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Apophyllite Onion River, near Lutsen, Cook County, Minnesota, USA Field of view 3 cm A close up of the apophyllite showing the clarity. |
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Calcite in laumontite Near Beaver Bay, Lake County, Minnesota, USA 25 X 18 X 16 cm Ex-Roland Quinn, proprietor of the Beaver Bay Agate Shop at the time. Roland inherited the shop and collection from his father. This incredible specimen has a group of flat-topped pseudohexagonal calcites in a large boulder of calcite and laumontite. It clearly was a piece of a large calcite vein that broke off. The miracle is that the whole specimen looks like a water-worn rock, but the calcite crystals are pristine and undamaged, showing no signs of wear at all. Greg theorizes this must have been in a part of Lake Superior with a sandy bottom. The usual pebble bottoms would have made short work of the calcite. The largest crystal is about 6 cm across. A true Minnesota classic, rare beyond rare. |
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Calcite in laumontite Near Beaver Bay, Lake County, Minnesota, USA Largest crystal is 6 cm |
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Calcite Near Crystal Creek, Minnesota, USA 15 X 10 X 8 cm A group of scalenohedral calcites, the largest is 4 cm, sitting in a vug of greenish quartz. Found by my son Greg in a rock slide at a road cut through the North Shore basalt. |
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_________________ John K. Nash, Ph.D. |
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John Nash
Joined: 24 Jun 2011
Posts: 34
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Posted: Nov 26, 2011 22:13 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - Minnesota |
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Just one more thing for now, pectolite from Castle Danger, MN. The "rock yard" where tailings were dumped as early as 1920 from highway construction along the North Shore yielded these interesting specimens.
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Pectolite Castle Danger, the Rock Yard, Minnesota, USA About 5 X 9 X 9 cm Radiating clusters of Pectolite crystals and another mineral, possibly xonotlite, in a dark green mix of augite and plagioclase altered to prehnite. About 5 X 9 X 9 cm, the specimen is an amygdule containing the pectolite, surrounded by prehnite. This was described in a 1924 article by G. M. Schwartz of the U of MN in the American Mineralogist, pp. 83 - 88. |
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_________________ John K. Nash, Ph.D. |
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John Nash
Joined: 24 Jun 2011
Posts: 34
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Posted: Nov 26, 2011 23:30 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - Minnesota |
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One last specimen to represent Minnesota - until next collecting season - some bright orange analcime. One large (20 cm) boulder discovered by my son Greg produced this and a number of other lovely specimens. Greg has very sharp eyes for the minerals ever since he started at age 11. Now he's 22.
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Analcime Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA The specimen is about 7.5 X 8 X 6 cm. The analcite crystals are quite small, only about 2mm. See the close-up. |
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Analcime Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA The specimen is about 7.5 X 8 X 6 cm. Field of view is about 3.5 cm |
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_________________ John K. Nash, Ph.D. |
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4900
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Nov 27, 2011 04:53 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - Minnesota |
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John Nash wrote: |
...yes, I posted the apophyllites with calcite - and others - to the Minnesota minerals section, I thought the state should look a little better mineralogically!
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Much better John, thank you. Great additions for Minnesota!
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John Nash
Joined: 24 Jun 2011
Posts: 34
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Posted: Nov 28, 2011 00:24 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - Minnesota |
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One more from the Knife River, just now trimmed and cleaned.
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Prehnite Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA 19.5 X 10 X 10 cm approximately This orange prehnite shows partial casts after laumontite, the largest cast is about 2 cm. The prehnite glitters with gold and some blue iridescence. |
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Prehnite Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA Field of view 11 cm |
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Prehnite Knife River, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA Field of view 4.5 cm |
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_________________ John K. Nash, Ph.D. |
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4900
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Jan 20, 2012 12:44 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - Minnesota |
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A fine addition from Jeff Scovil: six candies, all of them from Soudan Mine.
As always, thank you so much Jeff!
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Quartz with Hematite and Pyrite Soudan Mine, Soudan, Vermilion Range, St. Louis Co., Minnesota, USA 6.5 wide From Don & Gloria Olson Photo: Jeff Scovil |
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Quartz and Hematite Soudan Mine, Soudan, Vermilion Range, St. Louis Co., Minnesota, USA 4 cm. high From Don & Gloria Olson Photo: Jeff Scovil |
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Quartz and Hematite Soudan Mine, Soudan, Vermilion Range, St. Louis Co., Minnesota, USA 4.2 cm. high From Don & Gloria Olson Photo: Jeff Scovil |
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Quartz and Hematite Soudan Mine, Soudan, Vermilion Range, St. Louis Co., Minnesota, USA 2.7 cm. wide From Don & Gloria Olson Photo: Jeff Scovil |
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Quartz and Hematite inclusions Soudan Mine, Soudan, Vermilion Range, St. Louis Co., Minnesota, USA 3.6 high From Don & Gloria Olson Photo: Jeff Scovil |
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Quartz Soudan Mine, Soudan, Vermilion Range, St. Louis Co., Minnesota, USA 9.5 cm. high From Don & Gloria Olson Photo: Jeff Scovil |
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John Nash
Joined: 24 Jun 2011
Posts: 34
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Posted: Aug 11, 2012 23:35 Post subject: Re: A mineralogical trip through the states of USA - Minnesota |
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Some summer finds from Minnesota
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Pectolite and apophyllite Castle Danger, Minnesota, USA The pectolite spray is 2 cm across |
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Apophyllite Castle Danger, Minnesota, USA The apophyllites are about 2 cm These are part of a large (40 cm) rock (coarsely crystallized gabbro) found last weekend on the coast of Lake Superior that split perfectly down the middle revealing a number of pockets. Now for some extensive work with the rock trimmer to turn these into specimens. |
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_________________ John K. Nash, Ph.D. |
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