Crocoite from the Dark Side...

In the lead up to Halloween, here is a dark side crocoite!




Regards
Steve

Just popped this on my desktop, and (if you squint a bit) it is reminiscent of the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean.

(need a smiley with a patch over one eye, yo ho ho!).

Any more pics with a spooky theme?

Regards
Steve

Hi Steve
I have a bunch of those Dark Crocoites here, trying to sell them for Adam...but most people like the brightly coloured variety...
someone proffered that dipping them into HCl would reveal their bright interiors.
Any ideas as to whether or not this really works...

Hi Ray. Apparently not. The black coating is a bit of a mystery. Regards, Steve

Ray, you might send some of the black xls to Bart Cannon to probe. If you can get a handle on what makes them black you would perhaps stand a better chance to know where to go chemically with them to make them red. I suppose you have ruled out red spray paint.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Red Paint...hmmmmmm, it seems a most unmineralogical solution, Rock...but it was actually Bart that suggested the HCl solution, but I haven't got the gonads to do something like that to someone elses specimens.

As delicate as the specimens are there are probably a few black crystals that have broken off in the box(es) and you can experiment on some of those with HCl, H2O2, bleach etc. Sounds like if Bart suggested you try HCl, that he didn't think a scan of the crystal surface to give some insight on what was causing the black color would be worth the effort. If there are no little broken crystals, certainly your friend would give you permission to break off a few of the lesser ones for the cause of learning how to clean them. You might start by asking him what he or others have tried.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

I have done some probe work on the "black crocoite", which I should write up - its a banded mixture of coronadite, gibbsite and manganoan hisingerite, replacing the crocoite. So when you try to remove it you just get ugly, highly corroded crocoite.

Ralph

Red paint is starting to look pretty good.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Ha ha ha....thanks Ralph...and Rock...

Rock Currier Wrote:
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> Red paint is starting to look pretty good.

Not sure about that Rock. I get four mineral species for the price of one!

Regards
Steve