Albite

Jessie,
Yes, all the things you say and more will be talked about in the albite introduction at the top of the article. Right now Fred and Linda are just getting their feet wet selecting the images, making the captions and formatting the images. Fred knows enough mineralogy that when the time comes to put in the text that he will be able to handle it. There will be no attempt to inter text at this time, but think you for your suggestions because they provide a sort of valuable check list of some of the things that should be addressed in the introduction.

Harjo, Bill, Mark, thanks for the images and the suggested additions. They will all provide fodder for the first draft of the albite article.

Fred & Linda. I made a few more suggestions in the body of the albite article you started. When you have read them, just go into the edit mode for that thread posting and delete them.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

To Jessie & William,

Thank you for your comments on the Chinese Albite pictured above. At Rock's request, we are reviewing the mineral pictorial database searching for those pictures that can be used in the Best Mineral Articles. We are unable to correct or change the identification on any of these pictures.

Please PM the individual who posted this picture with your concerns so that the information can be verified or corrected as necessary. If it is determined that the picture is indeed mislabeled, please let us know so that we can remove it from this group.

Thank you,
Fred & Linda

Rock,

The Rutherford mine, located in Amelia Courthouse, Virginia, had extraordinary specimens of Albite (var. Cleavelandite). The specimen above, self collected in 1979, was the nicest one that I found. Size: 3 inches across, nearly 3 inches high, and about 1 1/2 inches thick. The specimen is comprised of only three main blades of Albite (as seen in the side view), with a dusting of Muscovite on one side of the specimen. It is because of the growth of the Albite crystals that fine Microlite crystals were found at this location (see below).

Dave,
Definitely worthy of being in the best minerals articles. We would need you to upload them to the mindat image gallery. If you need instructions on how to do that let me know and Ill email them to you. How big is the microlite. Have you ever considered cleaning your albite specimen to remove the red iron staining? If you need to know how to do that, let me know and Ill send you info on how to clean it.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Rock,

Sorry for not being specific with regards to the microlite. It's 1 1/4 inches on an edge; a Columbite xl is protuding from one of the xl faces (not confirmed with analysis). Some matrix attached at the base (muscovite, feldspar).

As with the iron staining Rock, I'm OK with cleaning it, but I am concerned with the Muscovite dusting the one side...
I think the Muscovite gives it a bit of character.

I will need instruction on uploading photos...
I apologize that, although registered with Mindat for 5 years, I have not used this website to its full potential.

All the best,

Dave

If you use iron out/Waller solution to clean the specimen it will not remove the mica, only the red staining. Use the chemical iron out that is discussed in this article. [www.mindat.org]

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.