Gail's NEW favourite of the day, PART 2

Jay,
The 1960s is about the correct time frame for this piece as well.
Bob

Hi,

This is just a quartz crystal from Brazil 2.5cm by 6cm. What makes it unusual is its 2mm thickness. It possibly formed in a book of mica.



Best,

Joe

Today's favorite is .....

Mercury with Cinnabar

Socrates Mine
Pine Flat District
Sonoma County, California
United States of America

72.0 x 52.0 x 41.0 mm overall. An extremely rich specimen liberally covered with shiny silvery globules or drops of native Mercury (quicksilver) on a Cinnabar-rich matrix. Mercury is the only recognized mineral that is found as a liquid at room temperature. Cinnabar alters to native mercury in the oxidized zone of deposits. Native mercury is also quite rare. This specimen is from an uncommon California locality, the Socrates Mine. Very rare in specimen form and a very difficult element to obtain in its pure form for an elements suite in a collection.

Fluorite, on St. Genevieve Limstone, Rosiclare Horizon, South End, Denton Mine, Illinois. Mined in January 1983. Measures 5.5 x 4.5 x 2.2 cm.

Phil:

Nice and sharp topaz; the locality looks correct, but Marambaia is indeed the name of a district, where there are many small mines (most unnamed), and you can also add the name of the city: Caraí; so I would write it as "Marambaia district, Caraí, MG, Brazil".

A floater cluster of pyrite from Austria is today's favorite. 4.9 x 4.7 cm.

© A&M

Cerussite - Tsumeb, Namibia 3.6 x 5.3 cm

Silver, Calcite
New Nevada Mine, Batopilas, Andres del Rio District, Mun. de Batopilas, Chihuahua, Mexico

36 x 25 x 15 mm overall. This native Silver from Batopilas is a classic example of the herringbone-style this locality is famous for. It has sharply elongated spinel twins, connected together in an aesthetic framework. What sets this specimen apart from most is the accents of snow-white Calcite, some showing classic rhombs.

Even though I haven't been able to post much lately, I have been enjoying everyone's specimens. Thank you for all for sharing!

My postman brought me a number of nice items this week, and while I have been trying to work on my Canadian section, I made time to snap a few pics of some that were better in hand than expected. I love it when that happens!

My favourite for today is this nicely centered almandine in schist from the Alps.

Almandine
Ötz valley, North Tyrol, Tyrol, Austria
specimen approx 6cm x 4cm
Crystal approx 12mm x 12mm

Pyrite from the Czech Republic. 4.5 x 3.3 cm.

© A&M

A smal spesimen I've played with in front of the camera today, just because it's caught my eyes...

Hi,

Thanks for posting those great specimens from classic and unusual locations.

My favorite for today is Pyromorphite on quartz, 6cm by 10cm. from the classic Bad Ems location in Germany. Formerly in the late Neal Wintringham collection. Neal aquired the specimen in the 1950s from the Sunshine Acres School in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Sunshine Acres was a nudist colony in southern New Jersy that was run by a clergyman, so I was told.


Best wishes,

Joe

Joseph, I am amazed at your historical pieces, with very interesting stories!

Yet another iron mineral as my favourite today, and from another classic locale.
Just a thumbnail, however it has a colourful personality along with some iron stained quartz teeth.
The iridesence is evident an all sides of the piece.

Hematite, Quartz
Rio Marina, Elba Island, Livorno Province, Tuscany, Italy
Approx 2.0 x 2.0 cm







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/10/2011 04:43PM by Stephanie Martin.

A great example Stephanie, of the colours that iron and manganese can impart . My example is by no means a classic sample nor from a classic site but has always caught my eye. The photo FOV is about 4cm, of a sandstone cobble from Maroota, NSW, Australia. I live in sanstone country surrounding Sydney where one of a few volcanic dykes intrude the wet sandstone formation. A friend mines sandstone in the area and many years back excavated into the said sandstone adjacent to the dyke. The fresh excavated material in 5 tonne boulders was to say at the very least, eye catching in the sunlight, BIG BLUE/PURPLE irridescent boulders. Alas all I was allowed to grab were a few hand sized pieces. The memory lingers on

David, thanks for sharing the memory of your lasting impression, at least you were able to get a few pieces to preserve the moment. Who could resist the lure of those colours?

For today… these andradites that instantly charmed me by their form and placement.

Andradite
Imilchil, High Atlas Mts, Er Rachidia Province, Meknès-Tafilalet Region, Morocco
Specimen overall size approx 4cm x 2.5cm
Largest crystal approx 1cm x 1cm

A favorite for today,

I always wanted a matrix specimen of an Emerald from Torrington NSW, and last Zeehan show i finally found one. 60mm high/




Andrew



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/2011 09:14AM by Andrew Tuma.

Amazing minerals everyone!!!!!!

Gail Patricia Copus Spann

BOB GRIFFIS, in your description of cinnabar and liquid mercury globules given with your specimen above on this page, your statement "mercury is the only mineral that is liquid at room temperature" is not quite correct as most scientists consider WATER H2O a mineral (ice) and, of course, it is a liquid at room temperature.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2011 06:54PM by BOB HARMAN.

What great photos of pieces that catch our eye have been produced this year. This particular piece I have been trying to photograph for some time with rather poor success but at last the something is starting to please me, but it still has a long way to go. Ahh the holidays!!!

Over the past 12 months, may helpful tips and tricks for that "better mineral photo" have been provided by mindat professional photographers, recently "Better Backgrounds....." by Volker B has been especially helpful for an amateur like myself.

A very informative 2011 from Mindat it has been,

Thank you Mindat and a Very Merry Christmas to you all

David

Woops, I forgot the identification of the previous specimen: hematite roses with etched quartz. From Jinlong, Quangdong Prov.