Aris: Ellingsenite and Muscovite or ?

Need some help from Aris experts. A few years ago I got a couple of UKs.

Here is the first one: very thin pointy blades associated with the usual Aris stuff: ellingsenite?

If you click on the link you will have access to a stereo image - if that helps.

The other UK is in the form of equally thin hex xls. Muscovite? Photo later.

Thanks for your time - Modris



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2011 09:55PM by Modris Baum.

Modris,

What you have is not a "typical" ellingsenite group or crystal morphology, but there are different habits so it is possible. There are many images here (MINDAT) for ellingsenite, take a tour and compare. Ellingsenite is quite common at the Ariskop quarry. The micas are quite problematic as I do not think much work was done (or published) on the mca group, and there is no lineup of mineralogists offering to identify them.
Laszlo

If it's not a mica, it could be calcioancylite or cryolite.

Thanks Laszlo. I have several more typical (or what I think are typical) ellingsenites from the same source. As you say, it seems plausible that this is just another one but it's different enough that I wanted to be cautious. I will probably post it as ellingsenite (with caveats) in a couple of days unless I hear objections before then.

Laszlo and Uwe: Here is a link to the "muscovite"

Everything in this photo is very tiny so it may not be possible to say anything definitive.

As before, the link will provide access to a stereo child photo.

Thanks - Modris



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2011 09:24PM by Modris Baum.

Hello Modris,

your "very thin pointy blades associated with the usual Aris stuff" seems to me to be the newly identified 'unnamed sazhinite related mineral I'. Look at that gallery and you will find crystals with a very similar habit [www.mindat.org].

I hope this solves perhaps one question

Joachim

Hello Joachim,

Yes. I had noticed the similarity (and even put a link to the gallery for this mineral - which includes your photo of course) into my caption.

But I was reluctant to actually label the sample as "unnamed sazhinite related mineral I" based on photos alone (not that I haven't done that).

But it is very interesting that you noticed the similarity as well.

Perhaps Uwe will chime in regarding the advisability of actually changing my label.

Thank you very much for taking the time to let me know.

Modris

Hi Modris, I don't think it's one of the sazhinite-related minerals.

Hi Uwe,

OK. Easy come, easy go I'll put a note to that effect in my caption (when I get some energy).

Thanks for responding.

Modris

Hi Modris,

If you want a sample of the new Sazhinite related mineral, let me know.

As for the photo you posted, I would guess Ellingsenite - it has various sorts of habits that are similar to each other. Just adding my two bits for what it's worth. Any crystals that I've thought were Muscovite are greenish, very thin, transparent and hexagonal.

Bill

Hi Bill,

The possibility of ellingsenite has already been eliminated. That's how I initially posted it (based, in fact, on the similarity with Joachim's photo which - at the time was also labeled as ellingsenite). But Uwe doesn't think it is ellingsenite. But it's not a big deal for me.

As for muscovite, the only reason I mixed that In is that I have another specimen with very thin plates (passably hexagonal in this case) and I figured it was more likely that I had one UK rather than two. I was thinking that these might just be malformed xls.

Modris