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MineralsMeliphanite

16th Nov 2011 14:26 UTCMartin Slama Expert

I need help with location.

Several years ago I bought a very old Meliphanite specimen which is originally labled as coming from Brevik/Langesundfjord/Norway. The specimen is from the "Staatliche Mineralien-Niederlage Freiberg, Sachsen". Besides the Meliphanite there is Molybdenite, Biotite and Feldspar.

Can anyone help me identifying the real loc?

16th Nov 2011 17:27 UTCAlf Olav Larsen

Hi Martin,

Your sample comes from one of many syenite pegmatite localities on the island of Arøya and Stokkøya in the outer part of the Langesundsfjord (see attached map 1). Meliphanite was at the time of collection (early 1900) practically only known from within a zone stretching across these two islands. Take a look at the attached map 2, which is a part of the map of the Langesundsfjord by Brøgger (1890). The meliphanite zone is within the dashed lines, and your sample comes from a locality within these borders. Note that the islands Arøya and Stokkøya was written Gross-Arö and Stokö, respectively, in German by Brøgger (1890).

As you can see in Map1 Brevik is further north in the Langesundsfjord. The town of Brevik is situated on Cambro-Silurian sediments and host none of the rare minerals that is known the pegmatites on islands in the fjord district.

Some of the local inhabitants on the islands made a business from collecting minerals and sell them to museums, mineralogists and mineral shops. One of these collectors were Adolf Johannessen, who lived on Lille Arøya (Ober Arö on Map 2). I show you here a letter to Johannessen from Mineralien-Niederlage in Freiberg, saying that they accept the meliphanite sample he sent them, but refused the leucophanite sample, which was heavily glued and too highly priced. They gladly want more samples of meliphanite. This document clearly shows that meliphanite from the Langesundsfjord was sent to Mineralien-Niederlage in Freiberg, just like your sample.

The company changed name from Mineralien-Niederlage der Kgl. S. Bergakademie zu Freiberg, Sa, to Staatliche Mineralien-Niederlage, Freiberg, Sachsen, in 1918. This may indicate that you sample is labelled later than 1918. The history of the company can be found at

http://www.minrec.org/labels.asp?colid=752.

More history and more about the minerals from the Langesundsfjord can be found in my book: The Langesundsfjord, published by Bode Verlag.

Best regards,

Alf Olav Larsen

16th Nov 2011 17:33 UTCAlf Olav Larsen

Something wrong in my previous message. Reloading attachment 1.

Alf Olav

23rd Nov 2011 14:49 UTCMartin Slama Expert

Thank you Alf Olav!

Martin

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