Erin Delventhal's Photo Gallery

New Mexico Mineral Symposium 2023

Jolyon is now presenting “After 23 years of mindat - what’s new and what’s yet to come”

HLR-7X7Quartz SiO₂ , Malachite Cu₂(CO₃)(OH)₂ , Chrysocolla Cu_2-xAl_x(H_2-xSi₂O₅)(OH)₄·nH₂O, x < 1

Lucky mine, Orogrande Mining District, Otero County, New Mexico, USA

Dimensions: 9.7 cm x 6.9 cm x 2.9 cm

Fine-grained quartz has partially coated malachite (and likely chrysocolla as well). Exposed malachite shows sheaf-shaped crystals with some signs of alteration. The matrix (tenorite maybe?) gives a contrasting dark background.

ex. Gary R. Weaver

CG2-6MGZircon Zr(SiO₄) , Metaconglomerate

Jack Hills, Nookawarra Station, Murchison Shire, Western Australia, Australia

Dimensions: 3.5 cm x 3.4 cm x 2.1 cm
Field of View: 4.6 cm

A sample of metasediments containing zircon grains from Jack Hills. The zircons have been dated to ~4.4 billion years ago (Hadean). My understanding is that the shimmery bronze material is zircon, but I could be wrong. Some quartz grains are visible, the largest ~6mm across.

PJQ-1YWPectolite NaCa₂Si₃O₈(OH) , Quartz SiO₂

Upper New Street Quarry, Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey, USA

Dimensions: 3.8 cm x 3.2 cm x 1.9 cm

White to slightly beige pectolite has replaced a small grouping of quartz crystals. The replacement appears in various stages as a spotted surface texture that moves inward in stringy or lathe-like structures. Several points show hollow space, including the entire interior of one quartz crystal that is missing a tip. Some areas show what may be conchoidal fracture from still-present quartz, but I can't see well enough to be certain of that.

Rock's label indicates the Upper New Street Quarry as the locality, though the only other specimen pictured on mindat at this time is another specimen uploaded from Rock listed as the Orange Quarry Company Quarry (see https://www.mindat.org/photo-304706.html , minID FQ8-Y0H ) – I am unsure if there is a mistake on the locality.

The 42nd New Mexico Mineral Symposium

I’ve won a rock and I’m very happy.
I think it’s about time to start saying goodbyes and head home. It’s always over too fast, but we’ll see a lot of folks at the Los Alamos show in a few weeks and Tucson is practically tomorrow.

Okay thanks bye bye!

The 42nd New Mexico Mineral Symposium

The silent auction has ended.

The 42nd New Mexico Mineral Symposium

And a final suggestion as to how to rectify these inconsistencies.
And with that, talks are over.

The 42nd New Mexico Mineral Symposium

An electron photomicrograph of the amphibole.

The 42nd New Mexico Mineral Symposium

An example of the material from the Zuni Mountains.

The 42nd New Mexico Mineral Symposium

These are some variations to the Sandia Mountains material. Some are cores with no shells.