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I started collecting minerals when I lived in Maryland, in the year 2000. My friend took me to the tiny library of Blue Ridge Summit to show me PA state publication #G33. I immediatly fell in love with the idea of Azurite included Quartz from Kunkletown, up north of Allentown. My friend and I took a trip up there, arriving EARLY in the morning, still dark. We fell asleep next to a liquor store in a nearby town and after waking we drove to the quarry. After much dicking around, a tiny quartz cluster was found, and then immediatly dropped to the ground, as we didn't see any Azurite in there.
After a few years, I found out that the Quartz from there was actually included with ANATASE! Not Azurite. How could you confuse the two. Beats me.
So, at the auction I noticed an Anatase from Kunkletown, listed in the auction catagory, at the very end of the auction. All the lower end stuff was sold at the begining and the finest stuff was kept to the very end. So, sight unseen, I saw the single specimen lot some up, Anatase from Kunkletown.
I paid $95.00 for this.
I was at the same auction and bought a few nice things.
The PA Geological Survey perpetuated the same error in its field guide to collecting PA minerals back in the 1970s.
The state geologist at the time was responsible for the error. I see some dark specks on the quartz; are they the anatase??? Small anatase on quartz crystals were also found at Ellenville, New York.
Best wishes,
Joe Polityka
Joseph Polityka
24th Jun 2008 2:50am