Glauberite - Camp Verde, Camp Verde District, Yavapai Co., Arizona, USA

My question is about the picture below. It is my understand that these are really calcite after glauberite and that the glauberite has not survived. Is my understanding incorrect?


Thanks
Bob

My understanding is that all these Camp Verde Glauberites are Calcite pseudomorphs. To be certain though, run an acid test to see if they effervesce (i.e bubble up) when the acid is placed on them. If it effervesces, then it is definitely a calcite pseudomorph.

Hello,

There are actually three types of pseudos from the Camp Verde area. The most common (and those most prevalent at the former mine site) are the white gypsum pseudos after glauberite. Just to the west of this in Copper Canyon can be found abundant sharp cream-colored calcite pseudos after glauberite and somewhat more rough tannish aragonite pseudos after glauberite. The aragonite ones are very distinctive and often show sharply terminated crystals as part of the pseudo---these also fluoresce a cream color.

I've collected here (along with no doubt thousands of others) and there is no shortage of specimens. I really love the very sharp calcite pseudos and the best of the aragonite pseudos are actually quite sharp and complete. Some of the white gypsum pseudos get quite large but I haven't come across the huge clusters of relatively sharp crystals that I sometimes see on the market. We walk upstream in a wash near the mine and have located the precise spot where these (the aragonite ones) weather from the sides of the wash---they are extremely sharp at this point. It is a fun place to collect--most people just hit the former mine site (easily visible due to the extreme whiteness of the surrounding area) and probably don't know about the wash (Copper Canyon) locality. I feel that they are extremely underappreciated given the sharpness and condition of specimens that can be collected. I usually offer them at shows in a set of three individuals with one aragonite, one calcite and one gypsum pseudo rounding out the collection.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2012 02:07AM by Dana Slaughter.

Sounds like we agree that the pictured specimen is not, however glauberie, but isinstead in the shape of glauberite

Bob

Hi Bob,

Sorry about that! I went on and on about the locality but didn't address your question. Yes, you
have a calcite pseudomorph after glauberite. I haven't found any unaltered glauberite crystals in the
area yet though I suppose that they could be found in the talus at the mine site.

Thank for your signalling

Luigi

Thanks Dana, always great to learn, that is why I am here! Please, no need to ever apologize for teaching me something!

And Thanks Luigi, I don't know if anyone has said it is NOT glauberite as of yet. Dana seems to have indicated it could be multiple things: calcite, aragonite or gypsum.

Thanks
Bob

I mentioned in my last post that it is definitely a calcite pseudomorph after glauberite. The three types of pseudos are very distinctive and can't be mistaken for each other by anyone that has collected at the mine site and the adjacent wash/canyon. The "hard" cream/yellowish ones are calcite and the spiky tannish ones are aragonite---the most common ones are those where gypsum replaces the glauberite and these are generally more rough in appearance and oftentimes snow white. I'll have to see if I have a set remaining and post a good photo showing all three pseudo types. I'll post some locality photos today as well.

Thanks Dana, that would be helpful. I wonder if we could get this information added to the notes about the locality

Hi Bob,

I have none of the sets remaining and may have to make a quick trip up to collect only the sharpest examples possible. I added a locality photo for Copper Canyon, Yavapai County but it may take a bit to show up when the page is viewed. To my knowledge, most of the calcite and aragonite pseudomorphs are found in Copper Canyon and not at the Camp Verde salt mine site proper. Your specimen is almost certainly from Copper Canyon---this is adjacent to the former mine site. I added a brief description to the Copper Canyon page and will add some geological information to the Camp Verde salt mine page soon. This is a fun place to collect as crystals are so numerous. They are held in relatively low regard with most AZ collectors as they are so common but I feel that the pseudomorphs are wonderful due to their sharpness and feel that the general disregard for these specimens by local collectors is misguided.

I would personally LOVE to have one of each type. Being common (or even ugly) is no reason to exclude in my opinion, some ugly things are still very worth study. I really like psuedomorphs. But it may be quite some before I get to collecting out there. You have wonderful collecting in AZ, I wish ours was even 1/100000th as good.

Thanks again
Bob

Hi Bob,

I just added some info to the Camp Verde salt mine page and sent you a PM. Take care!

Interesting and detailled information.
We can label correctly "glaugerite - Camp Verde"