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Rutile
Posted by Rock Currier
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Rutile July 23, 2010 10:04PM |
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Can you help make this a better article? What good localities have we missed? Can you supply pictures of better specimens than those we show here? Can you give us more and better information about the specimens from these localities? Can you supply better geological or historical information on these localities?
Rutile
TiO2 tetragonal
Rutile is a fairly common mineral though rarely found in large sizes. Mindat lists more than 3400 localities. The largest know Rutile crystal known is about 25cm diameter1. Twelve cm is the largest size indicated in the Handbook of Mineralogy2 and this is probably referring to the Graves Mountain locality. The best specimens of Rutile are undoubtedly those from Graves Mountain, Goergia, USA. Some people who like flashy looking specimens might argue that the best specimens of rutile are the star like epitaxial over growths of golden needles like rutile that are oriented on tabular black hematite crystals. In the 19th century the cyclic twins or Rutile from Magnet cove were considered unbeatable, at least by American collectors. Their only competition were the Rutile crystals from Parksburg Pennsylvania, but they were usually not very sharp as most of them were collected from the fields near Parksburg. Later, the mine at Graves Mountain Georgia put them completely in the shade. Recently some fine specimens of Rutile on Quartz from Kaputdzhukh Mountain, Armenia/Azerbaijan have entered the market, but most agree that the best of these do not match the best specimens from Graves Mt. Georgia, USA. California, USA has a couple of pretty good rutile localities, probably the best of these is the Champion mine. Zambia also has a couple of decent ones as well. As you scan the specimens from the few localities we have chosen as "good" rutile localities, you will undoubtedly be able to make up your own mind as to which you think are the best. Most Rutile crystals are black or deep red in color from their iron content. Pure titanium dioxide is colorless and when ground to a fine powder makes a good white pigment for paint.
1. Mineralogical Record, The Mineralogy of Graves Mountain, Lincoln County, Georgia by Robert B. Cook Jr. Vol 7 #6 p.443-457.
2. Hnadbook of Mineralogy Vol III, p486 Anthony, Bideaux, Bladh & Nichols.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Armenia
Zangezur range, Orubad District, Paragachai, Kaputdzhukh (Kaputjukh) Mt.
These specimens have appeared on the market only during the last five years or so and are one of the few examples of brilliant shiny large black rutile crystals are found growing on quartz. I talked to a Russian guy who dug some of these specimens and he had to hire a military escort to go with him and help protect him while he dug the crystals. They apparently don't like Russians very much there, of for that matter, most other people as well. The specimens pictures here are pretty good, but there are better specimens and when images of them are uploaded we will include them here. The largest Rutiles produced at this locality probably don't exceed 5cm and those are rare. The locality, Kaputdzhukh mountain lies on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Pavel Kartashov comments that in his youth most of the Rutiles from this locality came from the Armenian side of the mountain, but that recent production has been coming from the Azerbaijan side. He noted that the specimens come from a quartzite body and differ little in character from one side to the other and that the specimens have been dug mostly by locals from pits and trenches to supply mineral dealers.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Australia
Harts Ranges (Hartz Ranges), Northern Territory, Australia
Rutile
Australia
Rosebud Station, Mary Kathleen District, Mt Isa - Cloncurry area, Queensland, Australia
Rutile
Australia
South Australia, Olary Province, Wadnaminga goldfield, Carver's Claim
Rutile
Austria
Carinthia, Hohe Tauern, Goldberg group, Große Fleiß valley, Hocharn, Jausenscharten
Rutile
Austria
Austria, Carinthia, Hohe Tauern, Ankogel group, Ankogel area, Schwarzkopf
Schwarzkopf mountain at the border between Carinthia and Salzburg is a well known locality for its Rock Crystals which belong to the most beautiful ones on earth. But being a very dangerous place because of heavy rockfall not many collectors dare to climb its face.
The mountain also is part of the "Nationalpark Hohe Tauern" where collecting minerals is not allowed.
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Habach valley, Nasenkopf Mt., Leckbachgraben (Leckbachrinne)
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Habach valley, Scheißgraben (Kotriese; incl. Zima cleft)
In 2009/2010 the team Kaltenhauser, Millgramer, Vorreiter found an area with several Alpine clefts in a steep outcrop located halfway up the Scheißgraben. The clefts contained very nice Quartz crystals and clusters as well as very good Rutile specimens, richly covered specimens with fibrous Rutile crystals up to 10cm long. Also very nice orange Monazite crystals were found.
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Habach valley, Leffler source
In 2005 an area with Alpine clefts was discovered close to the Leffler source in the lower Habach valley. very good Rutile crystals (together with Anatase, Quartz, Calcite, Aragonite, Brookite, Apatite and Synchisite) have been found in several clefts. The mineralogy/geology of the area is comparable to the Scheißgraben/Kotriese, which are located nearby, a bit higher up the mountain.
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Obersulzbach valley, Silberofen Mt., Kampriese Alp
Rutile
Austria
Austria, Salzburg, Hohe Tauern, Untersulzbach valley, Leutachkopf - Stocker Alp area, Wieseggrinne (Stinkrinne)
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Rauris valley
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Rauris valley, Hüttwinkl valley, Grieswies - Krumlkeeskopf Mt. area
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Rauris valley, Hüttwinkl valley, Grieswies - Krumlkeeskopf Mt. area, Grieswies-Schafkar, Erfurt way
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Rauris valley, Hüttwinkl valley, Ritterkopf massif, Ritterkar
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Stubach valley
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Lungau, Murwinkel, Sticklerhütte
Rutile
Austria
Styria, Koralpe Mts, Modriach, Herzogberg Mt., Ebenlecker farm (Ebenlöcker farm)
Rutile
Azerbaijan
Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Mount Kapydzhik
Rutile
The locality, Kaputdzhukh mountain lies on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Pavel Kartashov comments that in his youth most of the Rutiles from this locality came from the Armenian side of the mountain, but that recent production has been coming from the Azerbaijan side.
Rutile
Belgium
Luxemburg Province, Bastogne, Marvie
In the Hercynian clefts of the Bastogne area very nice rutilated Quartz crystals can occasionally be found. In the vein Quartz Ilmenite is sometimes replaced by nice Sagenite Rutile.
Rutile
Belgium
Luxemburg Province, Bertrix
In the Hercynian clefts south of Bertrix very nice Rutile can be found in small cavities inside the vein Quartz. Rutile appears as acicular needles up to 1cm in length, but also as small very nice blood-red or brown crystals. Amongst those knee-twins are quite common. The Rutile is usually accompanied by Brookite, Anatase, Apatite, Titanite, Fuchsite and Xenotyme-(Y).
Rutile
Brazil
Northeast Region, Bahia, Brumado (Bom Jesus dos Meiras), Serra das Éguas, Pedra Preta pit
Rutile is listed as a mineral from this locality but you could not prove it from me. I spent about four days digging at this locality and never saw a scrap of rutile in the mine or with any of the miners on other trips to the locality.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Brazil
Northeast Region, Bahia, Novo Horizonte
The correct locality for all rutile on hematite specimens is Novo Horizonte, Bahia state; until about 25 years ago Novo Horizonte was a district inside Ibitiara county, then it was emancipated into a separate county, and all rutilated quartz and rutile on hematite localities (all small claims) are located inside the new county of Novo Horizonte; Ibitiara is not a locality for this material any longer.
[Luiz Menezes 2010]
There are two types of rutile from this locality familiar to collectors. The first and most common kind are quartz crystals with golden needles of rutile included in the quartz. Two good examples of these are pictured above. Better specimens of this kind of rutile in quartz are found here and when images of them become available we will include them in this article. The most cherished Rutile in Quartz specimens are the Rutile "stars" where the golden rutile needles are oriented on thin hexagonal crystals of hematite and radiate out beyond the rim off the hematite crystals. Good examples of these can bring thousands of dollars and are sought by collectors of inclusions and lapidaries who want to cut striking gemstones from this material. This locality, actually many many small localities near each other have been producing specimens of rutile in quartz for more than 50 years and production still continues today. In the early days it was common and shipped out by the ton to the United States and Europe. I remember one lapidary dealer in the 1960 in Los Angeles that offered 100 pound boxes of this material for $1000. It was very common. As common as this material was, almost all of it was badly treated and to find undamaged quartz crystals like the first two pictures shown here with good inclusions of rutile is quite rare. I made several trip to this locality in the 1980s to buy rutile in quartz and though I was shown hundreds of pounds of specimens of rutile in quartz I never saw even one as good as those pictured here. The one I have in my collection I eventually was forced to buy from a dealer in Belo Horizonte a few years later for what I thought was a very high price. Even though it was high I thought I had better get one while I could because the Chinese from Taiwan had entered the market in Brazil and were buying up Rutile in Quartz specimens for very high prices. This has continued through to the present time. This area produces many quartz crystals with inclusions of rutile, but not all of the rutile is in the form of the heavy golden needles pictured here. There are thousands of quartz crystals where the rutile takes the form of very fine silvery needles of rutile scattered sparingly to thickly inside the quartz. Some times the rutile is more reddish colored than silvery or golden.
I was always fascinated with the rutile in quartz from this locality and early on I tried to use Hydrofluoric acid to etch out some of the golden "spikes" of rutile from Quartz. Besides discovering just how amazingly resistant clear crystallized Quartz is to dissolving in hydrofluoric acid, I also discovered that you can't dissolve it out of Quartz using HF. They just sort of disappear once the quartz is dissolved. Perhaps they are soluble in the HF or are very thin to start with and break into very tiny pieces that no longer look like the golden needles inside the clear quartz. Sometimes, rarely the rutile needles are found growing outside the quartz and about ten years ago a find was made here of black hexagonal tabular shiny hematite crystals with abundant golden rutile crystals oriented in hexagonal arrays radiating outward from the hematite. A number of nice examples are shown here in this article, and one fairly good one, but again, we do not yet have pictures of any of the best specimens from this find. This kind of rutile on hematite oriented overgrowth are not unique to this locality and is known from a number of other localities and some of them are shown in this article. There is also a small clear quartz crystal pictured here with golden rutile inclusions. This crystal has been overpolished so to better show the golden rutile inclusions. Most of the rutile in quartz specimens from this locality are heavily damaged while being mined and or their transportation to market and their ultimate fate is at the hands of a lapidary who will cut, grind and polish them into gems beads and other lapidary objects.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Brazil
Northeast Region, Bahia, Vitória da Conquista
Rutile
Brazil
Northeast Region, Rio Grande do Norte, Borborema mineral province, Parelhas
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Minas Gerais, Doce valley, Itambacuri
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Minas Gerais, Gouveia, Cuiabá District
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Minas Gerais, Jequitinhonha valley, Diamantina
From the number of specimens pictured here you might think that these specimens might be abundant. This is not the case. For about 20 years I made buying trips into the sandstone areas around Diamantina to buy quartz crystals. I was always looking for other specimens as well, but there was never much other than quartz, though some of it had fascinating inclusions of various kinds. I bought tons of quartz crystals over the years, but during all that time I was never once offered any rutile crystals as good as those pictured above. Even though they are modest size, they are rare creatures
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto, Dom Bosco (old Hargreaves), Dom Bosco Mine
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto, Rodrigo Silva, Boa Vista
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Rio de Janeiro, São Francisco do Itabapoana, Barra do Rio Itabapoana
Rutile
Canada
Québec, Outaouais, Gatineau TE, McGregor Lake
Rutile
France
Rhône-Alpes, Isère, Bourg d'Oisans, St Christophe-en-Oisans
Rutile
Italy
Piedmont, Torino Province, Susa Valley
Rutile
Italy
Piedmont, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Vallone del Vannino, Formazza Valley, Monte Giove
Rutile
Italy
Piedmont, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Baceno, Ossola Valley, Croveo, Stretta di Cuggine
Rutile
Italy
Piedmont, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Ossola Valley, Baceno, Devero Alp (Devero Valley; Val Devero), Mount Cervandone
Rutile
Italy
Trentino-Alto Adige, Bolzano Province (South Tyrol), Vizze Valley (Pfitsch valley), Gliedergang
Rutile
Madagascar
Antananarivo Province
Rutile
Madagascar
Fianarantsoa Province, Amoron'i Mania Region, Ampandramaika-Malakialina Pegmatite Field, Ambatofinandrahana District, Mandrosonoro area
Rutile
Mozambique
Nampula Province, Nampula, Nacaroa
Rutile
Mozambique
Zambezia Province, Alto Ligonha District, Alto Ligonha pegmatites
Rutile
Namibia
Khomas Region, Gamsberg
Rutile
Namibia
Khomas Region, Windhoek District, Seeis, Ogonja (Onganja), Emke Mine
Rutile
Norway
Aust-Agder, Iveland, Håverstad
Rutile
Norway
Aust-Agder, Risør, Akland
Rutile
Norway
Aust-Agder, Tvedestrand
Rutile
Norway
Hordaland, Hardangervidda
Rutile
Norway
Nordland, Tysfjord, Kjøpsvik
Rutile
Pakistan
Balochistan (Baluchistan), Kharan
Rutile
Pakistan
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Khyber Agency, Mulla Ghori, Zagi Mountain (Zegi Mountain)
Rutile
Pakistan
Northern Areas, Baltistan, Skardu District, Haramosh Mts., Tormiq valley (Tormic; Tormik; Tormig; Turmiq)
Rutile
Pakistan
Northern Areas, Baltistan, Skardu District, Skardu
Rutile
Spain
Madrid, Horcajuelo, San Francisco Mine
Rutile
Switzerland
Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Vorderrhein Valley, Tujetsch (Tavetsch), Curnera Valley, Cavradi gorge
Most of the time collectors prize the bladed hematite crystals from this locality usually associated with quartz. One of the charming things about many of these specimens, which have been know for more than 100 years, is that they often have little dark red Rutile crystals epitaxially oriented on them and are labeled as hematite specimens.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Switzerland
Wallis (Valais), Binn Valley, Im Feld (Imfeld; Feld; Fäld), Lengenbach Quarry
Rutile
Switzerland
Wallis (Valais), Binn Valley, Lercheltini (Lärcheltini) area, Vorderer Kohlergraben (Vordere Chollergrabe)
Rutile
USA
Arkansas, Hot Spring Co., Magnet Cove
For many years in the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, good examples of the cyclic twinned Rutiles from this locality were considered about as good as specimens of this species could get with the possible exception of the Rutile crystals from Parksburg Pennsylvania. Although Rutile specimens from other localities have eclipsed Rutiles from Magnet Cove, they are considered classics and fine examples of them are snapped up by collectors when ever they appear on the market. Cyclic twinned crystals from magnet cove rarely exceed 2cm.
Rutile
USA
Arkansas, Hot Spring Co., Magnet Cove, Perovskite Hill
Rutile
USA
California, Inyo Co., Darwin District, Darwin, Unnamed W-Bi deposit
Rob Lavinsky had a number of these specimens from Bob Raduenz who collected them in 1965 and commented that he has never relieved the exact locality of the specimens, nor has he apparently been able to find more.
Rutile
USA
California, Mono Co., White Mts, Laws, White Mountain, Champion Mine (White Mountain Mine)
The Champion mine was operated for refractory minerals for the manufacture of spark plugs and was for some years operated under the direction of C.D. Woodhouse of Woodhouseite fame which was one of the minerals found at the mine. The best specimen pictured above is from the Woodhouse collection and is currently at the University of California at Santa Barbara where most of the Woodhouse collection is located. The Rutiles from this locality don't get any better than that. The mine has been abandoned for many years, and the few little wooden camp buildings have been maintained by collectors and can still be used by them today. Most of the specimens from this mine have been collected from the abandoned working and from ledges near the top most workings and from boulders in the scree field below the upper workings along with specimens of Woodhouseite and minor Quartz. The locality continues to grudgingly produce specimens and probably will for many years though it is a bit of a hike into the locality.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
USA
Colorado, Park Co., McGuire pegmatite (Lone Lode; Lonesome pegmatite)
Rutile
USA
Connecticut, Litchfield Co., Canaan
Rutile
USA
Connecticut, New Haven Co., Guilford
Rutile
USA
Georgia, Lincoln Co., Graves Mountain
Graves Mountain has been producing specimens since the 1850 though sometime intermittently. Most of the major Rutile specimen production has gone hand and glove with the open pit mining of Kyanite which when separated from its associated quartz forms the main ingredient for the production of mullite which is used for refractory purposes like bricks to line furnaces. Many of the Rutile specimens from this locality are found growing on or associated with bladed Kyanite that is almost always coated with a thick coat of iron oxides, some times beautifully iridescent. I have never seen any Rutiles associated with blue Kyanite like the abundant blue specimens from Brazil. However a few Rutile and Kyanite combinations have been cleaned extensively and the blue/blue-green Kyanite can be seen. Rutile crystals up to 25 cm are known1. The locality has also produced a few spectacular rutile eightlings. Sometimes like the specimen at the lead in to this article, brilliant Kyanites are found growing on Kyanite that is coated with iridescent iron oxide minerals an these are almost fought over by collectors. When most of the specimens are found, the Rutile crystals are also coated with a fairly thick coating of iron oxide which also coats the Kyanite. Fortunately this coating can be easily removed by picking away at it with a sharp steel point like the pointed end of a pocket knife.
1. Mineralogical Record, The Mineralogy of Graves Mountain, Lincoln County, Georgia by Robert B. Cook Jr. Vol 7 #6 p.443-457.
Some years ago when the mine was still operating I was passing through Georgia on the way to an American Federation of Gem and Mineral Societies show in Florida and decided to see if I could locate any Rutile crystals. I didn't even know where the mine was exactly, but a phone call home got my secretary to look it up in my Minerals of Georgia book and soon was driving down the little highway near the mine and up the access road to the mine. I went into to the trailer where the mine office was located and asked about the possibility of getting some Rutile crystals. I was told they had one and no, because of insurance reasons they could not even let me take a picture of the mine. In short I got the bums rush. So we dejectedly drove back down to the highway and into a nearby little country gas station/convenience store, but one of the real down home country kind all made from wood with a busted out screen door with holes in the screen. I bought some gas and asked the attendant if he knew anything about rutile crystals. He said "Rutile crystals? sure, see Railey next door, he has a bunch." Not only did Railey have a bunch, but a couple of his buddy miners also had a bunch. I came away from there with about 150 pounds of rutile crystals which I cleaned up using the pointed knife blade technique mentioned above. One of the best from that find, the big single doubly terminated crystal pictures above is from that lot of specimens. Such windfalls of fine specimens is rare, but it happens from time to time if you get around enough. That trip we went through the Viburnum trend and Elmwood Tennessee and got practically nothing so over all things tend to even out.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
USA
Massachusetts, Worcester Co., Barre, Racoon Hill
Rutile
USA
New York, Westchester Co., Ossining (Sing Sing)
Rutile
USA
North Carolina, Alexander Co.,
Rutile
USA
North Carolina, Alexander Co., Hiddenite
These North Carolina rutile specimen especially the ones on matrix associates with mica and dolomite are rare creatures. I was never able to find a good one for my collection.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
USA
North Carolina, Alexander Co., Hiddenite, Rist Mine (North America Emerald Mines)
Rutile
USA
North Carolina, Alexander Co., Stony Point
Rutile
USA
Pennsylvania, Chester Co., Sadsbury Township, Parkesburg
Almost all the Rutile specimens from this locality were picked up out of plowed fields near Parkesburg and therefore almost all show mild to rather severe abrasion and rounding from their being rolled around in the soil. I don't think I have ever seen a decent specimens with the Rutiles on matrix from this locality. There are better specimens from this locality than are currently shown, but they are rare.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Zambia
Copperbelt Province, Ndola
Rutile
Zambia
Kinyanfumbe
Rutile
Zambia
North-Western Province, Mwinilunga (Mwinlunga)
Click here to view Best Minerals R and here for Best Minerals A to Z and here for Fast Navigation of completed Best Minerals articles.
Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.
Edited 46 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2013 01:48PM by Rock Currier.
Can you help make this a better article? What good localities have we missed? Can you supply pictures of better specimens than those we show here? Can you give us more and better information about the specimens from these localities? Can you supply better geological or historical information on these localities?
Rutile
TiO2 tetragonal
 | |
| Rutile & Kyanite ~5cm tall, Graves Mountain, Georgia, USA | © |
Rutile is a fairly common mineral though rarely found in large sizes. Mindat lists more than 3400 localities. The largest know Rutile crystal known is about 25cm diameter1. Twelve cm is the largest size indicated in the Handbook of Mineralogy2 and this is probably referring to the Graves Mountain locality. The best specimens of Rutile are undoubtedly those from Graves Mountain, Goergia, USA. Some people who like flashy looking specimens might argue that the best specimens of rutile are the star like epitaxial over growths of golden needles like rutile that are oriented on tabular black hematite crystals. In the 19th century the cyclic twins or Rutile from Magnet cove were considered unbeatable, at least by American collectors. Their only competition were the Rutile crystals from Parksburg Pennsylvania, but they were usually not very sharp as most of them were collected from the fields near Parksburg. Later, the mine at Graves Mountain Georgia put them completely in the shade. Recently some fine specimens of Rutile on Quartz from Kaputdzhukh Mountain, Armenia/Azerbaijan have entered the market, but most agree that the best of these do not match the best specimens from Graves Mt. Georgia, USA. California, USA has a couple of pretty good rutile localities, probably the best of these is the Champion mine. Zambia also has a couple of decent ones as well. As you scan the specimens from the few localities we have chosen as "good" rutile localities, you will undoubtedly be able to make up your own mind as to which you think are the best. Most Rutile crystals are black or deep red in color from their iron content. Pure titanium dioxide is colorless and when ground to a fine powder makes a good white pigment for paint.
1. Mineralogical Record, The Mineralogy of Graves Mountain, Lincoln County, Georgia by Robert B. Cook Jr. Vol 7 #6 p.443-457.
2. Hnadbook of Mineralogy Vol III, p486 Anthony, Bideaux, Bladh & Nichols.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Armenia
Zangezur range, Orubad District, Paragachai, Kaputdzhukh (Kaputjukh) Mt.
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| Rutile on Quartz 4.1cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile on Quartz 7.5cm wide | © Pavel M. Kartashov |
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| Rutile on Quartz 9cm wide | © Weinrich Minerals |
These specimens have appeared on the market only during the last five years or so and are one of the few examples of brilliant shiny large black rutile crystals are found growing on quartz. I talked to a Russian guy who dug some of these specimens and he had to hire a military escort to go with him and help protect him while he dug the crystals. They apparently don't like Russians very much there, of for that matter, most other people as well. The specimens pictures here are pretty good, but there are better specimens and when images of them are uploaded we will include them here. The largest Rutiles produced at this locality probably don't exceed 5cm and those are rare. The locality, Kaputdzhukh mountain lies on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Pavel Kartashov comments that in his youth most of the Rutiles from this locality came from the Armenian side of the mountain, but that recent production has been coming from the Azerbaijan side. He noted that the specimens come from a quartzite body and differ little in character from one side to the other and that the specimens have been dug mostly by locals from pits and trenches to supply mineral dealers.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Australia
Harts Ranges (Hartz Ranges), Northern Territory, Australia
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| Rutile crystal 8mm long | © R. Bottrill |
Rutile
Australia
Rosebud Station, Mary Kathleen District, Mt Isa - Cloncurry area, Queensland, Australia
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| Rutile crystal 18mm long | © Sharon Clifford |
Rutile
Australia
South Australia, Olary Province, Wadnaminga goldfield, Carver's Claim
Rutile
Austria
Carinthia, Hohe Tauern, Goldberg group, Große Fleiß valley, Hocharn, Jausenscharten
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| Rutile in Quartz3cm wide | © Rudo |
Rutile
Austria
Austria, Carinthia, Hohe Tauern, Ankogel group, Ankogel area, Schwarzkopf
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| Rutile 10cm wide | © Rudo |
Schwarzkopf mountain at the border between Carinthia and Salzburg is a well known locality for its Rock Crystals which belong to the most beautiful ones on earth. But being a very dangerous place because of heavy rockfall not many collectors dare to climb its face.
The mountain also is part of the "Nationalpark Hohe Tauern" where collecting minerals is not allowed.
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Habach valley, Nasenkopf Mt., Leckbachgraben (Leckbachrinne)
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| Rutile on matrix 15cm wide | © Christian Bracke |
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Habach valley, Scheißgraben (Kotriese; incl. Zima cleft)
 | |
| Rutile 11cm tall | © |
In 2009/2010 the team Kaltenhauser, Millgramer, Vorreiter found an area with several Alpine clefts in a steep outcrop located halfway up the Scheißgraben. The clefts contained very nice Quartz crystals and clusters as well as very good Rutile specimens, richly covered specimens with fibrous Rutile crystals up to 10cm long. Also very nice orange Monazite crystals were found.
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Habach valley, Leffler source
 | |
| Rutile, 3cm long | © Harjo |
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| Rutile FOV 0,8cm | © Harjo |
In 2005 an area with Alpine clefts was discovered close to the Leffler source in the lower Habach valley. very good Rutile crystals (together with Anatase, Quartz, Calcite, Aragonite, Brookite, Apatite and Synchisite) have been found in several clefts. The mineralogy/geology of the area is comparable to the Scheißgraben/Kotriese, which are located nearby, a bit higher up the mountain.
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Obersulzbach valley, Silberofen Mt., Kampriese Alp
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| 1.2mm Rutile cluster | © Chinellato Matteo |
Rutile
Austria
Austria, Salzburg, Hohe Tauern, Untersulzbach valley, Leutachkopf - Stocker Alp area, Wieseggrinne (Stinkrinne)
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| Rutile 8cm wide | © H. Fink |
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Rauris valley
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| Rutile FOV 9mm | © Dave Richerson |
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Rauris valley, Hüttwinkl valley, Grieswies - Krumlkeeskopf Mt. area
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| Rutile 7.3cm wide | © www.mineralienkluft.at |
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| Rutile, Rock Crystal 13cm wide | © H. Fink |
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Rauris valley, Hüttwinkl valley, Grieswies - Krumlkeeskopf Mt. area, Grieswies-Schafkar, Erfurt way
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| Rutile, Quartz & Muscovite 10cm wide | © Gerd Stefanik |
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| Rutile to 13mm | © mineralienkluft |
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Rauris valley, Hüttwinkl valley, Ritterkopf massif, Ritterkar
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Stubach valley
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| Rutile on matrix 6.3cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
Rutile
Austria
Salzburg, Lungau, Murwinkel, Sticklerhütte
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| Rutile & Calcite 1.8cm tall | © www.mineralienkluft.at |
Rutile
Austria
Styria, Koralpe Mts, Modriach, Herzogberg Mt., Ebenlecker farm (Ebenlöcker farm)
Rutile
Azerbaijan
Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Mount Kapydzhik
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| Rutile & Quartz 4.6cm wide | © fabreminerals.com |
Rutile
The locality, Kaputdzhukh mountain lies on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Pavel Kartashov comments that in his youth most of the Rutiles from this locality came from the Armenian side of the mountain, but that recent production has been coming from the Azerbaijan side.
Rutile
Belgium
Luxemburg Province, Bastogne, Marvie
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| Rutilated Quartz, 6cm tall | © Harjo |
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| Rutilated Quartz, 5cm tall | © Harjo |
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| Rutilated Quartz, 4cm tall | © Harjo |
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| Sagenite Rutile FOV 0,6cm | © Harjo |
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| Sagenite Rutile FOV 0,4cm | © Harjo |
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| Sagenite Rutile FOV 0,6cm | © Harjo |
In the Hercynian clefts of the Bastogne area very nice rutilated Quartz crystals can occasionally be found. In the vein Quartz Ilmenite is sometimes replaced by nice Sagenite Rutile.
Rutile
Belgium
Luxemburg Province, Bertrix
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| Rutile FOV 0,8cm | © Harjo |
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| Rutile FOV 0,8cm | © Harjo |
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| Rutile FOV 0,8cm | © Harjo |
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| Rutile after Anatase FOV 0,4cm | © Harjo |
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| Rutilated Quartz FOV 0,6cm | © Harjo |
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| Rutilated Quartz FOV 0,8cm | © Harjo |
In the Hercynian clefts south of Bertrix very nice Rutile can be found in small cavities inside the vein Quartz. Rutile appears as acicular needles up to 1cm in length, but also as small very nice blood-red or brown crystals. Amongst those knee-twins are quite common. The Rutile is usually accompanied by Brookite, Anatase, Apatite, Titanite, Fuchsite and Xenotyme-(Y).
Rutile
Brazil
Northeast Region, Bahia, Brumado (Bom Jesus dos Meiras), Serra das Éguas, Pedra Preta pit
 | |
| Rutile xls 2.9cm wide | © 1995-2001 Trinity Mineral Co. |
Rutile is listed as a mineral from this locality but you could not prove it from me. I spent about four days digging at this locality and never saw a scrap of rutile in the mine or with any of the miners on other trips to the locality.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Brazil
Northeast Region, Bahia, Novo Horizonte
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| Rutile on Hematite in Quartz 7.5cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile in Quartz 5.2cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile on Hematite 2cm wide |
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| Rutile on Hematite 5.3cm wide | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile on Hematite 2.8cm tall | © fabreminerals.com |
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| Rutile on Hematite FOV 2cm | © 2006 M. Kampf |
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| Rutile on Hematite 6.1cm wide | © Rob Lavinsky |
The correct locality for all rutile on hematite specimens is Novo Horizonte, Bahia state; until about 25 years ago Novo Horizonte was a district inside Ibitiara county, then it was emancipated into a separate county, and all rutilated quartz and rutile on hematite localities (all small claims) are located inside the new county of Novo Horizonte; Ibitiara is not a locality for this material any longer.
[Luiz Menezes 2010]
There are two types of rutile from this locality familiar to collectors. The first and most common kind are quartz crystals with golden needles of rutile included in the quartz. Two good examples of these are pictured above. Better specimens of this kind of rutile in quartz are found here and when images of them become available we will include them in this article. The most cherished Rutile in Quartz specimens are the Rutile "stars" where the golden rutile needles are oriented on thin hexagonal crystals of hematite and radiate out beyond the rim off the hematite crystals. Good examples of these can bring thousands of dollars and are sought by collectors of inclusions and lapidaries who want to cut striking gemstones from this material. This locality, actually many many small localities near each other have been producing specimens of rutile in quartz for more than 50 years and production still continues today. In the early days it was common and shipped out by the ton to the United States and Europe. I remember one lapidary dealer in the 1960 in Los Angeles that offered 100 pound boxes of this material for $1000. It was very common. As common as this material was, almost all of it was badly treated and to find undamaged quartz crystals like the first two pictures shown here with good inclusions of rutile is quite rare. I made several trip to this locality in the 1980s to buy rutile in quartz and though I was shown hundreds of pounds of specimens of rutile in quartz I never saw even one as good as those pictured here. The one I have in my collection I eventually was forced to buy from a dealer in Belo Horizonte a few years later for what I thought was a very high price. Even though it was high I thought I had better get one while I could because the Chinese from Taiwan had entered the market in Brazil and were buying up Rutile in Quartz specimens for very high prices. This has continued through to the present time. This area produces many quartz crystals with inclusions of rutile, but not all of the rutile is in the form of the heavy golden needles pictured here. There are thousands of quartz crystals where the rutile takes the form of very fine silvery needles of rutile scattered sparingly to thickly inside the quartz. Some times the rutile is more reddish colored than silvery or golden.
I was always fascinated with the rutile in quartz from this locality and early on I tried to use Hydrofluoric acid to etch out some of the golden "spikes" of rutile from Quartz. Besides discovering just how amazingly resistant clear crystallized Quartz is to dissolving in hydrofluoric acid, I also discovered that you can't dissolve it out of Quartz using HF. They just sort of disappear once the quartz is dissolved. Perhaps they are soluble in the HF or are very thin to start with and break into very tiny pieces that no longer look like the golden needles inside the clear quartz. Sometimes, rarely the rutile needles are found growing outside the quartz and about ten years ago a find was made here of black hexagonal tabular shiny hematite crystals with abundant golden rutile crystals oriented in hexagonal arrays radiating outward from the hematite. A number of nice examples are shown here in this article, and one fairly good one, but again, we do not yet have pictures of any of the best specimens from this find. This kind of rutile on hematite oriented overgrowth are not unique to this locality and is known from a number of other localities and some of them are shown in this article. There is also a small clear quartz crystal pictured here with golden rutile inclusions. This crystal has been overpolished so to better show the golden rutile inclusions. Most of the rutile in quartz specimens from this locality are heavily damaged while being mined and or their transportation to market and their ultimate fate is at the hands of a lapidary who will cut, grind and polish them into gems beads and other lapidary objects.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Brazil
Northeast Region, Bahia, Vitória da Conquista
Rutile
Brazil
Northeast Region, Rio Grande do Norte, Borborema mineral province, Parelhas
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Minas Gerais, Doce valley, Itambacuri
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| Twinned Rutile crystals 1.9cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Minas Gerais, Gouveia, Cuiabá District
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Minas Gerais, Jequitinhonha valley, Diamantina
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| Rutile 1.2cm tall | © Tony Peterson |
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| Rutile 2cm tall | © Tony Peterson |
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| Rutile 3.8cm wide | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile 5.5cm wide | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile 1.8cm tall | © Christian Bracke |
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| Rutile 3.6cm wide | © JSS |
From the number of specimens pictured here you might think that these specimens might be abundant. This is not the case. For about 20 years I made buying trips into the sandstone areas around Diamantina to buy quartz crystals. I was always looking for other specimens as well, but there was never much other than quartz, though some of it had fascinating inclusions of various kinds. I bought tons of quartz crystals over the years, but during all that time I was never once offered any rutile crystals as good as those pictured above. Even though they are modest size, they are rare creatures
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto, Dom Bosco (old Hargreaves), Dom Bosco Mine
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| Rutile 6.2cm wide | © fabreminerals.com |
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto, Rodrigo Silva, Boa Vista
Rutile
Brazil
Southeast Region, Rio de Janeiro, São Francisco do Itabapoana, Barra do Rio Itabapoana
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| Rutile 2.5cm tall | © Brhounds |
Rutile
Canada
Québec, Outaouais, Gatineau TE, McGregor Lake
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| Rutile 2cm wide | © 2001 John H. Betts |
Rutile
France
Rhône-Alpes, Isère, Bourg d'Oisans, St Christophe-en-Oisans
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| Rutile & Hematite FOV 3mm | © JM. Johannet |
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| Rutile & Hematite FOV 3mm | © JM. Johannet |
Rutile
Italy
Piedmont, Torino Province, Susa Valley
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| Group of 3mm Rutile crystals | © Chinellato Matteo |
Rutile
Italy
Piedmont, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Vallone del Vannino, Formazza Valley, Monte Giove
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| Rutile oriented on Hematite 7.2mm wide | © D. Preite |
Rutile
Italy
Piedmont, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Baceno, Ossola Valley, Croveo, Stretta di Cuggine
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| 1.1mm Rutile crystal | © Chinellato Matteo |
Rutile
Italy
Piedmont, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Ossola Valley, Baceno, Devero Alp (Devero Valley; Val Devero), Mount Cervandone
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| 2.5mm cluster of Rutile crystals | © Enrico Bonacina |
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| Rutile on Hematite FOV 6.31mm | © D. Preite - M.C. |
Rutile
Italy
Trentino-Alto Adige, Bolzano Province (South Tyrol), Vizze Valley (Pfitsch valley), Gliedergang
Rutile
Madagascar
Antananarivo Province
 | |
| Rutile 4.5cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
Rutile
Madagascar
Fianarantsoa Province, Amoron'i Mania Region, Ampandramaika-Malakialina Pegmatite Field, Ambatofinandrahana District, Mandrosonoro area
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| Rutile 2.7cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
Rutile
Mozambique
Nampula Province, Nampula, Nacaroa
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| Rutile 3cm tall | © Martins da Pedra |
Rutile
Mozambique
Zambezia Province, Alto Ligonha District, Alto Ligonha pegmatites
Rutile
Namibia
Khomas Region, Gamsberg
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| Rutile 3.8cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile crystal 3.7cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile 2.2cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
Rutile
Namibia
Khomas Region, Windhoek District, Seeis, Ogonja (Onganja), Emke Mine
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| Rutile 6.2cm tall | © CCURTO2010 |
Rutile
Norway
Aust-Agder, Iveland, Håverstad
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| Rutile 8cm tall | © Knut Eldjarn |
Rutile
Norway
Aust-Agder, Risør, Akland
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| Rutile 6cm tall | © ØT |
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| Rutile 4.5cm wide | © A. Michalsen |
Rutile
Norway
Aust-Agder, Tvedestrand
Rutile
Norway
Hordaland, Hardangervidda
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| Rutile needles in Quartz 1.4cm tall | © OT. Ljostad |
Rutile
Norway
Nordland, Tysfjord, Kjøpsvik
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| Rutile & Calcite 1.4cm wide | © OT. Ljostad |
Rutile
Pakistan
Balochistan (Baluchistan), Kharan
Rutile
Pakistan
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Khyber Agency, Mulla Ghori, Zagi Mountain (Zegi Mountain)
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| Rutile 2.7cm wide | © H. Obodda |
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| Rutile 4.5cm tall | © H. Obodda |
Rutile
Pakistan
Northern Areas, Baltistan, Skardu District, Haramosh Mts., Tormiq valley (Tormic; Tormik; Tormig; Turmiq)
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| Rutile on matrix 6.5cm tall | © H. Obodda |
Rutile
Pakistan
Northern Areas, Baltistan, Skardu District, Skardu
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| Rutile 2cm tall | © J. Witkowski |
Rutile
Spain
Madrid, Horcajuelo, San Francisco Mine
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| Rutile 2.5cm tall | © 2007 |
Rutile
Switzerland
Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Vorderrhein Valley, Tujetsch (Tavetsch), Curnera Valley, Cavradi gorge
Most of the time collectors prize the bladed hematite crystals from this locality usually associated with quartz. One of the charming things about many of these specimens, which have been know for more than 100 years, is that they often have little dark red Rutile crystals epitaxially oriented on them and are labeled as hematite specimens.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Switzerland
Wallis (Valais), Binn Valley, Im Feld (Imfeld; Feld; Fäld), Lengenbach Quarry
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| Rutile crystals FOV 2mm | © Stephan Wolfsried |
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| Rutile crystals FOV 6mm | © Stephan Wolfsried |
Rutile
Switzerland
Wallis (Valais), Binn Valley, Lercheltini (Lärcheltini) area, Vorderer Kohlergraben (Vordere Chollergrabe)
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| A 1.5mm Rutile crystal on Adularia | © Enrico Bonacina |
Rutile
USA
Arkansas, Hot Spring Co., Magnet Cove
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| Rutile eightling & othere ~2cm tall | © |
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| Rutile after Brookite 3.5cm wide | © 2003 John H. Betts |
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| Rutile twins ~2cm wide | © |
For many years in the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, good examples of the cyclic twinned Rutiles from this locality were considered about as good as specimens of this species could get with the possible exception of the Rutile crystals from Parksburg Pennsylvania. Although Rutile specimens from other localities have eclipsed Rutiles from Magnet Cove, they are considered classics and fine examples of them are snapped up by collectors when ever they appear on the market. Cyclic twinned crystals from magnet cove rarely exceed 2cm.
Rutile
USA
Arkansas, Hot Spring Co., Magnet Cove, Perovskite Hill
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| Rutile 8ling 1.2cm wide | © |
Rutile
USA
California, Inyo Co., Darwin District, Darwin, Unnamed W-Bi deposit
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| Rutile on matrix 3.5cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile on matrix 4cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile on matrix 3.2cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile on matrix 3.9cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile on matrix 5.6cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
Rob Lavinsky had a number of these specimens from Bob Raduenz who collected them in 1965 and commented that he has never relieved the exact locality of the specimens, nor has he apparently been able to find more.
Rutile
USA
California, Mono Co., White Mts, Laws, White Mountain, Champion Mine (White Mountain Mine)
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| Rutile & Pyrophyllite 5.0cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile 3.2cm wide | © Weinrich Minerals |
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| Rutile & Pyrophyllite 4cm wide | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile & Pyrophyllite 11cm wide | © WWB |
The Champion mine was operated for refractory minerals for the manufacture of spark plugs and was for some years operated under the direction of C.D. Woodhouse of Woodhouseite fame which was one of the minerals found at the mine. The best specimen pictured above is from the Woodhouse collection and is currently at the University of California at Santa Barbara where most of the Woodhouse collection is located. The Rutiles from this locality don't get any better than that. The mine has been abandoned for many years, and the few little wooden camp buildings have been maintained by collectors and can still be used by them today. Most of the specimens from this mine have been collected from the abandoned working and from ledges near the top most workings and from boulders in the scree field below the upper workings along with specimens of Woodhouseite and minor Quartz. The locality continues to grudgingly produce specimens and probably will for many years though it is a bit of a hike into the locality.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
USA
Colorado, Park Co., McGuire pegmatite (Lone Lode; Lonesome pegmatite)
Rutile
USA
Connecticut, Litchfield Co., Canaan
Rutile
USA
Connecticut, New Haven Co., Guilford
Rutile
USA
Georgia, Lincoln Co., Graves Mountain
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| Rutile 4.5cm wide | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile 4.6cm wide | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Giant Rutile xls on Kyanite ~30cm wide | © |
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| Rutile crystal~15cm tall | © |
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| Rutile 2.9cm wide | © Rob Lavinsky |
Graves Mountain has been producing specimens since the 1850 though sometime intermittently. Most of the major Rutile specimen production has gone hand and glove with the open pit mining of Kyanite which when separated from its associated quartz forms the main ingredient for the production of mullite which is used for refractory purposes like bricks to line furnaces. Many of the Rutile specimens from this locality are found growing on or associated with bladed Kyanite that is almost always coated with a thick coat of iron oxides, some times beautifully iridescent. I have never seen any Rutiles associated with blue Kyanite like the abundant blue specimens from Brazil. However a few Rutile and Kyanite combinations have been cleaned extensively and the blue/blue-green Kyanite can be seen. Rutile crystals up to 25 cm are known1. The locality has also produced a few spectacular rutile eightlings. Sometimes like the specimen at the lead in to this article, brilliant Kyanites are found growing on Kyanite that is coated with iridescent iron oxide minerals an these are almost fought over by collectors. When most of the specimens are found, the Rutile crystals are also coated with a fairly thick coating of iron oxide which also coats the Kyanite. Fortunately this coating can be easily removed by picking away at it with a sharp steel point like the pointed end of a pocket knife.
1. Mineralogical Record, The Mineralogy of Graves Mountain, Lincoln County, Georgia by Robert B. Cook Jr. Vol 7 #6 p.443-457.
Some years ago when the mine was still operating I was passing through Georgia on the way to an American Federation of Gem and Mineral Societies show in Florida and decided to see if I could locate any Rutile crystals. I didn't even know where the mine was exactly, but a phone call home got my secretary to look it up in my Minerals of Georgia book and soon was driving down the little highway near the mine and up the access road to the mine. I went into to the trailer where the mine office was located and asked about the possibility of getting some Rutile crystals. I was told they had one and no, because of insurance reasons they could not even let me take a picture of the mine. In short I got the bums rush. So we dejectedly drove back down to the highway and into a nearby little country gas station/convenience store, but one of the real down home country kind all made from wood with a busted out screen door with holes in the screen. I bought some gas and asked the attendant if he knew anything about rutile crystals. He said "Rutile crystals? sure, see Railey next door, he has a bunch." Not only did Railey have a bunch, but a couple of his buddy miners also had a bunch. I came away from there with about 150 pounds of rutile crystals which I cleaned up using the pointed knife blade technique mentioned above. One of the best from that find, the big single doubly terminated crystal pictures above is from that lot of specimens. Such windfalls of fine specimens is rare, but it happens from time to time if you get around enough. That trip we went through the Viburnum trend and Elmwood Tennessee and got practically nothing so over all things tend to even out.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
USA
Massachusetts, Worcester Co., Barre, Racoon Hill
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| Rutile 1.5cm wide | © 2001 John H. Betts |
Rutile
USA
New York, Westchester Co., Ossining (Sing Sing)
Rutile
USA
North Carolina, Alexander Co.,
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| Rutile crystal 3.8cm long | © 2003 John H. Betts |
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| Rutile crystal ~6cm long | © |
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| Rutile crystal 1.8cm tall | © Danny Jones |
Rutile
USA
North Carolina, Alexander Co., Hiddenite
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| Rutile crystal 2.8cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile in Quartz & single xl 5cm long | © Joseph Polityka |
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| Rutile on matrix ~8cm tall | © |
These North Carolina rutile specimen especially the ones on matrix associates with mica and dolomite are rare creatures. I was never able to find a good one for my collection.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
USA
North Carolina, Alexander Co., Hiddenite, Rist Mine (North America Emerald Mines)
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| Rutile crystal 2.5cm tall | © Weinrich Minerals |
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| Rutile Crystals 3.1cm tall | © Weinrich Minerals |
Rutile
USA
North Carolina, Alexander Co., Stony Point
Rutile
USA
Pennsylvania, Chester Co., Sadsbury Township, Parkesburg
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| Rutile ~4cm wide | © |
 | |
| Rutile crystal 8.7cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| Rutile crystal 3.5cm tall | © Rob Lavinsky |
Almost all the Rutile specimens from this locality were picked up out of plowed fields near Parkesburg and therefore almost all show mild to rather severe abrasion and rounding from their being rolled around in the soil. I don't think I have ever seen a decent specimens with the Rutiles on matrix from this locality. There are better specimens from this locality than are currently shown, but they are rare.
[Rock Currier 2010]
Rutile
Zambia
Copperbelt Province, Ndola
 | |
| Rutile on Quartz 3.7cm tall | © CCURTO10 |
Rutile
Zambia
Kinyanfumbe
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| Rutile on matrix 5.5cm tall | © fabreminerals.com |
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| Rutile on matrix 5cm wide | © fabreminerals.com |
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| Rutile on Quartz 7.2cm wide | © fabreminerals.com |
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| Rutile on Quartz 3.1cm tall | © fabreminerals.com |
Rutile
Zambia
North-Western Province, Mwinilunga (Mwinlunga)
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| Rutile on Hematite 3.8cm wide | © fabreminerals.com |
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| Rutile on Hematite 4.3cm wide | © fabreminerals.com |
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| Rutile & Hematite 3.8cm wide | © fabreminerals.com |
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| Rutile on Hematite 5.3cm wide | © fabreminerals.com |
Click here to view Best Minerals R and here for Best Minerals A to Z and here for Fast Navigation of completed Best Minerals articles.
Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.
Edited 46 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2013 01:48PM by Rock Currier.
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Re: Rutile July 23, 2010 11:45PM |
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Re: Rutile October 05, 2010 01:33PM |
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Re: Rutile April 23, 2011 11:29AM |
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Re: Rutile April 23, 2011 03:37PM |
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Re: Rutile May 18, 2012 03:26PM |
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Re: Rutile May 18, 2012 03:40PM |
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Re: Rutile May 18, 2012 07:50PM |
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Re: Rutile May 18, 2012 08:18PM |
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Re: Rutile May 18, 2012 09:02PM |
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Re: Rutile June 14, 2012 10:00PM |
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Re: Rutile June 15, 2012 03:56AM |
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Re: Rutile October 04, 2012 06:37AM |
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Re: Rutile October 04, 2012 08:22AM |
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Re: Rutile March 13, 2013 02:38PM |
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Re: Rutile March 15, 2013 06:09AM |
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Re: Rutile March 15, 2013 06:48AM |
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Re: Rutile March 15, 2013 01:49PM |
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