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2 Bar A
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Posts: 36
Location: California
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Posted: May 11, 2009 01:57 Post subject: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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Here is the first specimen...
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4900
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: May 11, 2009 02:18 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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2 Bar A,
Welcome here. We can try to help you to identify specimens from your collection but, "quid pro quo", we would need some effort from your side. Please read this post explaining the basic rules to help to identify mineral specimens: https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?t=124
Also it would be nice if you can introduce yourself as well as your mineral collections.
BTW, the first specimen posted is a Calcite from Mexico.
Jordi
_________________ Audaces fortuna iuvat |
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2 Bar A
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Posts: 36
Location: California
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Posted: May 11, 2009 02:35 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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My bad Jordi, thank you for the heads up! I have inherited a mineral collection 20 years ago, origin unknown. Most of the specimens are numbered but unfortunately there is no description for any of them except one....which I will include anyway just for the heck of it. (BTW: The last specimen measured 13cm x 7cm).
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Ruby in Zoisite 9cm x 7cm approx. |
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2 Bar A
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Posts: 36
Location: California
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Posted: May 11, 2009 02:59 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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This next specimen is 7X4 cm and is absolutely beautiful. One of my favorites...
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2 Bar A
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Posts: 36
Location: California
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Posted: May 11, 2009 03:00 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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I'm going to bed now, but tomorrow I will have many more for you to identify. Thank you for all your help so far....
Barbara
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jorge santos garcia
Joined: 06 Jan 2008
Posts: 34
Location: Évora
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Posted: May 11, 2009 04:20 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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Hello Barbara
This last specimen is dioptase over calcite rhombs. From Tsumeb Mine (Tsumcorp Mine), Tsumeb, Otjikoto (Oshikoto) Region, Namibia.
They are always amazing specimens, indeed.
Jorge
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Tobi
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 4110
Location: Germany
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Posted: May 11, 2009 05:20 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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Hi Barbara,
what about the ruby? You want to know the location where it is from, i suppose? I know such rubys from Australia, India and even Norway, so it is difficult to find out :-/ Or is the locality known?
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Carles Curto
Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 160
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: May 11, 2009 05:48 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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The ruby in zoisite is from Londigo, Arusha, Kilimanjaro (reg.), Tanzània.
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4900
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: May 11, 2009 06:10 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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I believe that the Mexican Calcite is from Santa Eulalia district. Maybe Peter Megaw who know so well that area can confirm it and maybe also add the mine's name.
Jordi
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Les Presmyk
Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 372
Location: Gilbert, AZ
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Posted: May 11, 2009 08:48 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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The frist calcite is indeed from Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico. Peter Megaw may have a specific mine name. These have been coming out for at least 50 years.
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Ed Huskinson
Joined: 15 Apr 2009
Posts: 318
Location: Kingman, Arizona
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Posted: May 11, 2009 08:49 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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Hey 2BarA, welcome to the FMF!!!
Congratulations on your inheritance. You (and I suspect we) will have fun figuring out just exactly what's what. As to your calcite (which is what we call a phantom calcite because there are phantoms of earlier calcites with a slightly different color within the younger calcite overgrowths), it is indeed from Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico, a few hundred kilometres south of El Paso, Texas. These have been coming out for years now (by which I mean the miners have been bringing them out of the mine and selling them on the side, to make a little extra money. The calcites themselves are not ore, per se).
Peter Megaw will be able to tell you where in the mine the calcite originated. I've seen these things before, but it has been some years. Santa Eulalia is a big mine, very old, and minerals from different parts of the mine are distinctive in chemistry and hence, appearance.
Please keep the pictures coming, we all enjoy looking at each others' stuff. Again, welcome to the Forum.
Saludos,
Ed
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Ed |
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2 Bar A
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Posts: 36
Location: California
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Posted: May 11, 2009 11:51 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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WOW! I am gobsmacked! Thank you all for your replies. What a wealth of knowledge I have just tapped into. Ok, here's my next specimen...I have been experimenting with different lighting techniques to capture the beauty of these specimens. It is obvious I am a beginner but have started taking photography lessons so I can get better.
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2 Bar A
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Posts: 36
Location: California
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Posted: May 11, 2009 11:55 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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And here's the next one...
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Les Presmyk
Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 372
Location: Gilbert, AZ
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Posted: May 11, 2009 11:56 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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Elbaite almost certainly from Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Ed Huskinson
Joined: 15 Apr 2009
Posts: 318
Location: Kingman, Arizona
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Posted: May 11, 2009 12:30 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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No sweats 2 Bars. Just send the two along, and if anyone says anything tell 'em "It's a stereopair".
By the way, nice tourmalines. Probably should call them "elbaites", but I'll leave that sort of nit-pickery to someone else. I like the way you backlit them.
Here are a few tourmalines in my collection, just as they sit on the shelf. The one on the right hand side, sort of orangeish-cranberry color is very similar to your "stereopair".
Keep 'em coming. And your photos are great! Artful, much better than my barely adequate snapshots.
Ed
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_________________ La respuesta está en las rocas!! Estudiadlas!!
Ed |
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Les Presmyk
Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 372
Location: Gilbert, AZ
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Posted: May 11, 2009 12:53 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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Ed, now you are just showing off. Since Arizona does not produce any good specimens of any of the tourmaline group minerals, I cannot follow Ed's lead and show you photos of our elbaites. Once you get to azurites, malachites and wulfenites, maybe we can reciprocate. Whatever we can do to help a new collector.
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Ed Huskinson
Joined: 15 Apr 2009
Posts: 318
Location: Kingman, Arizona
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Posted: May 11, 2009 13:06 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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Yeah well, you're right Les. However, the orange-colored "tourmaline" came to me from Bruce Van Allen, and he was unable to provide a specific locality for it, other than "Minas Gerais". It's a big state. The thing deserves a separate photo and more attention, that's for sure. But I think that it and 2 Bar's specimen are from the same area if not the same mine. Maybe one of the South American locality experts can weigh in on this. How 'bout it Alfredo? Whomever? Any idea where these distinctive orange-red elbaites originate??
I'll post a few more photos of my little single crystal on my page a little later.
And please forgive the digression 2Bar. Sometimes I/we tend to get swept up in the discussion(s). Send more photos, we're all enjoying this very much.
_________________ La respuesta está en las rocas!! Estudiadlas!!
Ed |
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2 Bar A
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Posts: 36
Location: California
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Posted: May 11, 2009 14:07 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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Wow Ed, those are breathtaking! Love the quick wit and all the information...okay, here's my next elbaite (hopefully the correct singular spelling) I believe it was once attached to the mica in photo #2, let me know what you think!
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elbaite 3X1.5 (highlighting the mica in the specimen) |
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Ed Huskinson
Joined: 15 Apr 2009
Posts: 318
Location: Kingman, Arizona
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Posted: May 11, 2009 14:44 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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Don't know 2Bar. The mica looks like the lithium-rich mica called lepidolite. It occurs in San Diego county, right there in California. Tourmaline is found with this mica, usually as a variety called rubellite I think, although this name may no longer be in favor, perhaps replaced by lithium elbaite. I'm not sure.
However, I'm doubtful that the beautifully zoned elbaite (whose photo accompanies the mica) occurred on the lepidolite, as I believe they occurr in different zones in the pegmatites where they grew. Others with more experience than I have can weigh in here, and it'll be instructive to hear what they have to say. In the meantime, the elbaite that is pictured in the photo I sent to you earlier, the zoned specimen so similar to yours, came from the Pala Mine in San Diego county. So that gives you something for comparison. If you live in southern California, a field trip to the Fallbrook area is called for. You can meet many good dealers there, and see lots of fine minerals as well.
I see a trip to Tucson in your future, in February, 2010. Gail Spann has a topic string devoted to women in mineralogy or collecting, whatever, and there is much to be learned at that site. I cannot think of a better mentor for you.
But keep posting! Participation in the FMF seems to go in fits and starts, depending on everyone's availability and computer access. You'll be hearing from lots more folks in the next few days.
Keep up the good work.
_________________ La respuesta está en las rocas!! Estudiadlas!!
Ed |
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Les Presmyk
Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 372
Location: Gilbert, AZ
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Posted: May 11, 2009 14:54 Post subject: Re: I need help identifying my mineral collection |
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All good information from Ed for you. Elbaite is the species name for the green, blue (indicolite) and pink (rubellite) members of the Tourmaline group. I am probably going to get into trouble with some of the real mineralogists but that is how I understand the identification and nomenclature.
If you are ever in the Phoenix, we can get you around to see some of the collections in this area, which will include everything from tourmalines and beryls to rhodochrosite and what comes from the southwest, including Mexico.
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