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Sauconite from
Friedensville Mine, Friedensville, Saucon Valley, Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh Co., Pennsylvania, USA

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Friedensville Mine, Friedensville, Saucon Valley, Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh Co., Pennsylvania, USA
© M.Heintzelman
Description
Type Locality:Friedensville Mine, Friedensville, Saucon Valley, Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh Co., Pennsylvania, USA is the type locality for Sauconite
Comments:First described in Dana's System of Minerology 5th edition (1868, p.409) as a pale-yellow zinciferous clay discovered in the upper workings of the Uebberoth Zinc Mine by J. M. Blake. (MSP Newsletter, May 1963, p. 5, PM7) analyzed in 1875 by Prof. W. T. Roepper of Lehigh University. Found in large quantity durring mining operations close to the surface, tonnage of the material was shipped to the Oxide furnaces for recovery of it's zinc content (20-30 percent of Zinc Oxide). ref: B. L. Miller, Lehigh Co., PA; Geol. Surv. Bill. C39, 1941, p. 340)
Habit:earthy masses, clay-like
Colour:pale yellow
UV Fluorescence:none
Quality of samples:Excellent - world class for species or very significant. (!!)
Rarity at site:Very common
Confirmation
Validity:Believed Valid
References
References:Arthur Montgomery; The Mineralogy of Pennsylvania, 1922-1965, pg. 52 ; pub#9 Acadamy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA; Rocks & Minerals (1955) 30:394
Data
Mineral Data:Click here to view Sauconite data
Locality Data:Click here to view Friedensville Mine, Friedensville, Saucon Valley, Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh Co., Pennsylvania, USA
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