http://www.mindat.org/msgboard-92.html Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:50:56 +0000 Phorum 5.2.8-RC1 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,154978#msg-154978 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,154978#msg-154978 Thanks for the heads up. When the article gets written we will probably not include those images. The links listed were just grabed in haste from the gallery without much thought applied to them. Often when creating the article some of the images are thrown out and or others added. Then of course the help we get in the threads like yours are invaluable in helping I and the other authors stay out of trouble. Would you like to work on an article here? Like perhaps Zircon, this mineral? I would be only too glad to turn it over to you. What is above is just a place holder rather than the start of an article.]]> Rock Currier Best Minerals Z Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:54:49 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,154891#msg-154891 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,154891#msg-154891
The photo from Rob Lavinsky said to be "zircon crystals altering to eudialyte" from Kangerdluarssuq in Greenland looks like a photo of ordinary eudialyte crystals from the area. Zircon is very resistent to weathering and geochemical alterations and I cannot rember seeing any pseudomorphs after zircon crystals - let alone "zircon altering to eudialyte". There are zircons in the Ilimaussaq complex and also at Narssarsuk in Greenland, but I have never seen any large or spectacular crystals or specimens.

The listing of a photo of zircon under the heading of "Kåfjord copper mines" is also misleading as the text of the photo clearly states that it is from the island of Seiland.

Knut]]> Knut Eldjarn Best Minerals Z Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:09:49 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,139072,139072#msg-139072 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,139072,139072#msg-139072
Below are some preliminary notes I have made about Zektzerite. This entry and thread has been made as a place holder for information that you will hopefully contribute about Zektzerite. It should be in no way be thought of as a claim I have staked out to write about this mineral, and in fact is an invitation for someone to step forward and create the article about this mineral. If you are so inclined and have questions about the format that such an article should have, go the The welcome topic at the top of the Best Minerals forum and read what has been posted there. Also take a look at some of the more mature articles that have already been written like Rhodochrosite, Adamite, Millerite etc. You will need also to pick out other images of Ardealite that will go into the article.


Zektzerite
LiNa(Zr,Ti,Hf)Si₆O₁₅ Orthorhombic

Zektzerite, Washington Pass, Golden Horn Batholith, Okanogan Co., Washington, USA 1.5cm wide	© D. Richerson

Of the three localities listed on Mindat, the type locality at Washington Pass has produced by far the best specimens. Crystals up to 3.7 cm are known.


Zektzerite
USA
Washingon, Okanogan Co., Golden Horn Batholith, Washington Pass

We need some better pictures of Zektzerite to show here.

The specimens from this locality are frequently through not always pink in color. They are almost all take the form of short pseudohexagonal prisms and isolated on matrix. Some specimens have crystals of more than 3cm though most of the better specimens have smaller crystals. There were never all that many specimens produced and they were never cheap because to get them you had to hike around the Golden Horn Batholith, not the easiest of tasks, trying to find boulders with exposed miarolitic cavities that still had a crystal of two of Zektzerite in them. These cavities are not common, and only a few of those found had Zektzerite in them. Many cavities were also pretty well ravaged by weathering and when you found one more or less intact with Zektzerite in them, you still faced the daunting task of trying to remove the specimens intact. Because of the effort required to find a good specimen, sometimes several trips to the locality were required, those who had them never easily parted with them.

The story of how the mineral got its name is interesting. One of the guys who collected the original specimens was Jack Zektzer. When first found (79?) they were thought to be possibly apatites, but within a couple of weeks Jack Zektzer sent some to Pete Dunn at the Smithsonian. To everyone's surprise here was a megascopic new mineral and Lou Landers says at the time the IMA allowed the finder to suggest possible new names. Zektzer sugested Tolkienite (after the Lord of the Rings author), Snoopyite (after the Peanuts dog) and Zektzerite !!!]]> Rock Currier Best Minerals Z Sun, 24 May 2009 19:59:57 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,135372#msg-135372 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,135372#msg-135372 A good start but there are a couple Australian localities that should be there, eg Mud tank (eg [www.mindat.org] - there are a lot of duplicate photos there too!)
Also Sisters Ck (I will see if I can find a better image): [www.mindat.org]
Ralph]]> Ralph Bottrill Best Minerals Z Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:08:35 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,135330#msg-135330 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,135330#msg-135330 Rock Currier Best Minerals Z Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:34:04 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,135276#msg-135276 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,135276#msg-135276 Karsten Eig Best Minerals Z Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:00:42 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,135243#msg-135243 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,135243#msg-135243 there is the single zircon locality - zircon point on Vavnbed Mt. So You had subdivide specimens from the same locality on two groups - with complete and incomplete labels. :)
Kind regards,
Pavel]]> Pavel Kartashov Best Minerals Z Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:52:28 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,135227#msg-135227 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,135227#msg-135227
From Quebec; chemin White roadcut which produced narrow pink xls to 8cm long (usually repaired specimens). Bryson, near Grand Calumet (probably Pontiac Co.) unusual short crystals with complex terminations to ~3 cm.]]> Philippe M. Belley Best Minerals Z Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:12:57 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,135222#msg-135222 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,135222,135222#msg-135222

Zircon
ZrSiO₄ tetragonal

Zircon, Mogok, Sagaing District, Mandalay Division, Burma (Myanmar) 2.6cm across	© Joseph A. Freilich

Here will go a general description of the various kinds of zircon specimens etc, a bit of their mineralogy geology and history but for whoever writes this article, I hope they will include the following.

Zircon is considered by many people to be perhaps the most durable and long lasting of all the minerals found in the earths crust. The following was written by Peter Nancarrow in response to a query on one of the Mindat bulletin board forums.

"Weathering" covers a variety of decomposition processes, including water solution, acid rain attack, organic processes (e.g. action of products of leaf decay, lichen digestion etc.) freeze/thaw, solar heating etc, and a mineral that is resistant to one or other or even any chemical attack, may not be resistant to a mechanical process such as rapid thermal expansion. I am not considering brittleness or abrasion resistance here; the effects on particles of being ground about by a glacier or between boulders in a scree, being rolled along a stream bed, or washed about on a beach are not weathering processes sensu stricto; those processes come under the heading "erosion" rather than "weathering".

The latter is defined as "The process by which rocks are broken down and decomposed by the action of external agencies such as wind, rain, temperature changes, plants, and bacteria. . . . An essential feature of the process is that it affects rocks in situ; no transportation is involved. This is the factor which distinguishes it cleary from erosion." (Whiten & Brooks, 1972).

I am reminded of the occasion when I was working in the X-ray analysis section of a geochemical laboratory, and one of our analysts brought me a specimen to be identified. He had been trying to get a sample of granite into solution for a whole-rock analysis, to include those elements which could not be measured by XRF, particularly Be & Li, but he was left with a small residue of fine sandy pink material in the bottom a test tube which he had been unable to dissolve, even in superheated concentrated HF! (Using a teflon "bomb" in a high-pressure autoclave). Everything else, all the quartz, topaz, tourmaline, cassiterite etc., was gone. Under the microscope I could see that the sample consisted of lustrous tetragonal crystals with absolutely no indication of even the first stages of solvent attack; they had sharp-pointed terminations and crystal edges and bright lustrous faces with no etching features. The only pitting could be attributed to the solution of what had been exposed inclusions embedded in the crystal faces, but even these apparent weaknesses in the integrity of the crystal surfaces had not let one of the most corrosive of acids do its work.

Yes, you guessed right; that concentrate consisted of zircon, and nothing but zircon!

So, all those factors considered, I would certainly have to agree that my vote for the mineral "most resistant to weathering" would certainly be for zircon. As regards its subsequent resistance to erosive processes, it's pretty hard, (Mohs 71/2) and not particularly brittle either; I just put a zircon crystal on an anvil and hit it several times with a hammer! It took a rather harder blow to crack it than would be required for a similarly sized quartz crystal.
[Peter Nancarrow]



Some of the better zircon images on Mindat
Austria
Aigner Alp, Schellgaden, Murwinkel, Lungau, Salzburg, Austria
[www.mindat.org]

Brazil
hGoiás, Central-West Region, Brazil
[www.mindat.org]

Campos Verdes, Santa Terezinha de Goiás District, Goiás, Central-West Region, Brazil
[www.mindat.org]

Peixe alkaline complex, Tocantins, North Region, Brazil
[www.mindat.org]

Natividade, Peixe alkaline complex, Tocantins, North Region, Brazil
[www.mindat.org]

Brumado (Bom Jesus dos Meiras), Bahia, Northeast Region, Brazil
[www.mindat.org]

Sapucaia Mine, Sapucaia do Norte, Galiléia, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil
[www.mindat.org]

Poços de Caldas, Poços de Caldas plateau, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil
[www.mindat.org]

Burma (Myanmar)
[www.mindat.org]

Mogok, Sagaing District, Mandalay Division, Burma (Myanmar)
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]


Canada
Davis Quarry, Dungannon Township, Bancroft District, Hastings Co., Ontario, Canada
[www.mindat.org]

Silver Crater Mine (Basin Property), Faraday Township, Bancroft District, Hastings Co., Ontario, Canada
[www.mindat.org]

Hybla, Monteagle Township, Bancroft District, Hastings Co., Ontario, Canada
[www.mindat.org]

MacDonald mine, Hybla, Monteagle Township, Bancroft District, Hastings Co., Ontario, Canada
[www.mindat.org]

Poudrette quarry (Demix quarry; Uni-Mix quarry; Desourdy quarry), Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville Co., Québec, Canada
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Kipawa alkaline complex, Sheffield Lake, Villedieu Township, Témiscamingue Co., Québec, Canada
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

France
Métou brook alluvials, Vergonzac, Siaugues-Sainte-Marie, Langeac, Haute-Loire, Auvergne, France
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Riou Pezzouliou alluvials, Espaly-Saint-Marcel, Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire, Auvergne, France
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Buges brook alluvials, Perpezat, Rochefort-Montagne, Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne, France
[www.mindat.org]

Monne river alluvials, Les Arnats, Le Vernet-Sainte-Marguerite, Saint-Amant-Tallende, Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne, France
[www.mindat.org]

Germany
Laach lake volcanic complex, Eifel Mts, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

In den Dellen quarries, Niedermendig, Mendig, Laach lake volcanic complex, Eifel Mts, Rhineland-Palatinate, German
[www.mindat.org]

Caspar quarry, Bellerberg volcano, Ettringen, Mayen, Eifel Mts, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Greenland
Kangerdluarssuq (Kangerdluarssuk; Kangerdluarsuk) Firth, Ilimaussaq complex, Narsaq, Kitaa (West Greenland) Province, Greenland
[www.mindat.org]


Italy
Monte Somma, Somma-Vesuvius Complex, Naples Province, Campania, Italy
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Pollena - Trocchia area, Monte Somma, Somma-Vesuvius Complex, Naples Province, Campania, Italy
[www.mindat.org]

Sacrofano Caldera, Sacrofano, Campagnano di Roma, Rome Province, Latium, Italy
[www.mindat.org]

Mezzano, Valentano, Viterbo Province, Latium, Italy
[www.mindat.org]

Tre Croci, Vetralla, Vico Lake, Viterbo Province, Latium, Italy
[www.mindat.org]

Cuzzago Mine, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy
[www.mindat.org]

Burgum Alp, Vizze Valley (Pfitsch valley), Bolzano Province (South Tyrol), Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Toal d'Allochèt (Alochet), Monzoni Mts, Fassa Valley, Trento Province, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
[www.mindat.org]

Contrada Cubi, Staro, Valli del Pasubio, Vicenza province, Veneto, Italy
[www.mindat.org]

Madagascar
Ambatofotsy pegmatite, Mahavelona Commune, Soavinandriana Department, Itasy Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]

Ampasipoana pegmatite, Mahavelona Commune, Soavinandriana Department, Itasy Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]

Ambatofotsikely pegmatite, Fidirana Commune, Betafo Department, Vakinankaratra Region (Betafo - Antsirabé region), Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]

Betroka Department, Horombe Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Ambatomivahy (Ambatomivany), Betroka Department, Horombe Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]

Sakasoa phlogopite mine, Sakasoa, Betroka Department, Horombe Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Mafilefy phlogopite mine, Andalantanosy Commune, Ambovombe-Atsimo Department, Androy Region, Tuléar (Toliara) Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]

Ambonaivo (Amboanaivo) thorianite deposit, Ambonaivo Group, Maromby Commune, Amboasary Department, Anosy (Fort Dauphin) Region, Tuléar (Toliara) Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]

Belafa area, Maromby Commune, Amboasary Department, Anosy (Fort Dauphin) Region, Tuléar (Toliara) Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]

Tranomaro Commune, Amboasary Department, Anosy (Fort Dauphin) Region, Tuléar (Toliara) Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]


Malawi
Mt Malosa, Zomba District, Malawi
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]


Mozambique
Monte Salambidua, Tete, Tete Province, Mozambique
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]


Norway
Kåfjord Mines (Alta Copper Mines), Alta, Finnmark, Norway
[www.mindat.org]

Seiland Island, Alta, Finnmark, Norway
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Langesundsfjorden, Porsgrunn, Telemark, Norway
[www.mindat.org]


Pakistan
Astor (Astore), Astor District (Astore District), Northern Areas, Pakistan
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Harchu (Harchoo), Astor valley (Astore valley), Astor District (Astore District), Northern Areas, Pakistan
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan
[www.mindat.org]

Chilas, Diamar District (Diamir District), Northern Areas, Pakistan
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Gilgit, Gilgit District, Northern Areas, Pakistan
[www.mindat.org]


Russia
Marchenko Peak, Kukisvumchorr Mt, Khibiny Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region, Russia
[www.mindat.org]

Lovozero Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region, Russia
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Vavnbed Mt, Lovozero Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region, Russia
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Miass (Miask), Ilmen Mts, Chelyabinsk Oblast', Southern Urals, Urals Region, Russia
[www.mindat.org]

Vishnevye (Vishnyovye) Mts, Chelyabinsk Oblast', Southern Urals, Urals Region, Russia
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Vishnovogorsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast', Southern Urals, Urals Region, Russia
[www.mindat.org]

Giant Crystal Quarry, Embilipitya, Sri Lanka
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Ambilipitiya, Kataragama, Sri Lanka
[www.mindat.org]

Ratnapura, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Kollana, Uva Province, Sri Lanka
[www.mindat.org]

Switzerland
Zinggenstöcke, Oberaar lake area, Grimsel area, Hasli Valley, Bern, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Tanga Region, Tanzania
[www.mindat.org]

Clora May Mine (Mina Blanca; Clara May Lode), Trout Creek Pass pegmatite District, Buena Vista, Chaffee Co., Colorado, USA
[www.mindat.org]

St Peters Dome, Cheyenne District (St. Peters Dome District), El Paso Co., Colorado, USA
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Helen Hunt Falls, El Paso Co., Colorado, USA
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

White Cloud pegmatite, South Platte Pegmatite District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA
[www.mindat.org]

Tuxedo, Henderson Co., North Carolina, USA
[www.mindat.org]

Crystal King Zircon mine (Ashton location), Wichita National Wildlife Refuge, Comanche Co., Oklahoma, USA
[www.mindat.org]

Baringer Hill (Barringer Hill), Bluffton, Llano Co., Texas, USA
[www.mindat.org]

Lam Dong Province, Vietnam
[www.mindat.org]]]> Rock Currier Best Minerals Z Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:37:10 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,115394,133047#msg-133047 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,115394,133047#msg-133047 For some reason I can't open the second of your attached images. The first image of the zunyite from Quartzite is strikingly similar to hundreds if not thousands of similar specimens that have been collected at that locality for generations by California and Arizona collectors.]]> Rock Currier Best Minerals Z Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:35:46 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,115394,132974#msg-132974 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,115394,132974#msg-132974
The follow species of zunyites are confirmed by analysis:

1-[rruff.info] =very similar to the Rob Lavinsky specimen (second specimen).

2-[rruff.info] to the Elmar Lackner 2007 specimen are noted.

Thanks.]]> Armand Dutroux Best Minerals Z Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:03:20 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,129419,129419#msg-129419 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,129419,129419#msg-129419
Ideally what we want to know about each significant mineral from each locality is:

1. What is the largest crystal of the mineral that the locality has produced?
2. What do the best specimens from this locality look like and where can one be seen?
3. Does the locality produce a variety of different kinds of specimens of this species, and what do the best of each type look like and how many of them were found etc.
4. What are the associated minerals found with this species and what is its geological setting?
5. How abundant are these specimens and when were they found? A type locality? In other words, how rare are they.
6. How do they compare to other specimens of the same mineral from other localities?
7. How much is it worth. This should probably be optional, but in cases where specimens are worth thousands of dollars we should probably say something of the value of these things.
8. What kind of care and feeding do these specimens require? Are they delicate, radioactive, unstable, color changeable etc.?
9. Are the specimens commonly faked, and if so, how to tell if they are?
10. Are there any interesting stories relating to the collecting of these specimens or their discovery as a new mineral?

Of course this is in reality impractical, but if we keep these questions in mind, we will do a lot better job when writing about them.]]> Rock Currier Best Minerals Z Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:32:49 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,115394,115394#msg-115394 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,92,115394,115394#msg-115394

Zunyite Display collections?
Al₁₃Si₅O₂₀(OH)₁₄F₄Cl cubic
Several localities produce sharp mm size tetrahedrons in matrix. There appear to be no free standing crystals and those that appear to be have been worked out of their enclosing matrix.


Zunyite
United States
Arizona, La Paz County, Veta Grande Claim-Big Bertha Claim, The Electric Meatball boulder.

Zunyite, a 1.1 cm crystal	© Rob Lavinsky

In the early 1980s these claims were worked by Dick Jones and Mike Springer who found a few wonderful hematite specimens there. The locality is also well known for its zunyite which occurred as sharp little one to two mm octahedral tan to cream colored crystals in an aluminous schist. Mike Sprunger said that when he and Dick Jones were working the hematite and quartz veins they kept finding zunyite when they were digging on th south side of the mountain-hill rather than on the north west side where most of the collectors went to look for hematite. In 1985 Gary Moss with Jim Walker were working on the south side of the mountain looking for hematite and quartz. Gary had to take a crap and wondered off to find a place to do the needful. The first place he found he was run off by a car full of Montana folks that had a pair of longhorn steer horns as a hood ornament and he finally located a nice big boulder with some shade. While doing the needful he noticed that the boulder had some hematite and small zunyite crystals. The boulder looked a better prospect than anything they had yet encountered so they drilled some holes in it with the portable gasoline powered rock drill they had with them and filled the holes with explosives. They then wired them all up together with electrical detonators and decided while looking boulder looked like a giant electric meatball. The activation of the meatball broke the boulder into a number of more manageable smaller boulders and it was from these fragments that the best specimens of zunyite were collected. They had to be careful collecting because the explosion of the boulder had disturbed a number of the small very poisonous scorpions that live in the area. The zunyite crystals were mostly translucent but some where a charcoal gray color caused by included specular hematite. About 500 lbs of specimens were collected that day. Some dozens of crystals in excess of 10 mm were collected. Jim Walker collected perhaps a comparable amount on subsequent trips. Jim collected a crystal on a subsequent trip of about 2cm. It was not easy to prepare the specimens for sale because the matrix was difficult to remove from around the zunyite to make them stand out from the matrix. The removal of the matrix was done with an air abrasive tool and glass beads. Also the zunyite crystals were somewhat prone to having the corners of the sharp tetrahedrons pop off during preparation. Saturating the zunyite crystals with super glue helped keep them intact during the matrix removal process which was very time consuming. The specimen with the best large crystal was traded to the Sorbonne and another fine specimen went to the Smithsonian Institute. The Picture one shown here is not one of the better specimens produced at this locality.
[Rock Currier with most of the information provide as a personal communication from Gary Moss]


Zunyite
USA
Arizona, La Paz Co., Dome Rock Mts., Middle Camp-Oro Fino District, Big Bertha Mine (Veta Grande Mine; Veta Grande claim; Crystal Caverns claim; Big Bertha Extension Mine)

Zunyite 3 cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Zunyite xl 1mm wide	© Michael C. Roarke

This locality has been more or less open to collectors for years. The main attraction has always been the beautiful sharp shiny bladed hematites that are very occasionally been found growing on quartz crystals at this locality. It was a small mine at one time, probably more of a prospect really than anything else. Probably not more than one or two hundred feet of workings and most of that not accessable. Most of the specimens of hematite and zunyite were found near the entrance to the tunnel or on the dump of float material from the ledge scattered down the slope of the low hill. Because the locality is almost within shouting distance of the little town of quartzite and not all that far from Los Angeles, Phoenix and Tucson, collectors have collected this area heavily for many years. Picture one is a real champ for the locality but even so, to make the zunyite crystals as prominent as they are, a lot of hand work had to be done to expose them better. The much larger crystals from the Electric Meatball locality is really not far away and almost certainly part of the same geological formation that formed this locality. For years, when you went there to try and collect hematite crystals, and in recent years, hardly any are ever found, you could always bang out a flat or two of zunyite specimens.
[Rock Currier 24 December 08]


Zunyite
USA
Colorado, San Juan Co., Silverton District, Silverton, Anvil Mountain, Zuni Mine

Zunyite specimen, FOV 0.6 cm	© Elmar Lackner

Occurres in small micro crystals. This is the type locality. "It is intimately mixed with the sulphide of arsenic and lead, guitermanite...and pyrite; also embedded in a whit earthy material consisting in part of lead sulphate , and derived from the alteration of the associated ores".1 This "old time" description would certainly be described somewhat differently by a modern mineralogist about 100 years later, but it gives you a good flavorful description.
1. A System of Mineralogy, Edward Salisbury Dana, 6 edition 1915, p 436
[Rock Currier 24 December 08]


Zunyite
USA
Utah, Juab Co. East Tintic Mts., Tintic District, Silver City

Zunyite 8.3 cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

We need someone to tell us of the zunyites from this locality.
[Rock Currier 24 December 08]]]> Rock Currier Best Minerals Z Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:29:08 +0000