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10487
LocalitiesCuasso al Monte, Varese Province, Lombardy, Italy
20th Apr 2011 03:46 UTCSteve Stuart Expert
locality of Cuasso al Monte. Are any of our Italian micromounters familiar with the Blanchi Quarry?
Thanks,
Steve Stuart
20th Apr 2011 06:17 UTCMickey Marks
20th Apr 2011 13:03 UTCUwe Kolitsch Manager
No, not yet (there is ony a Bianchi quarry in California).
Another photo also shows a specimen from this quarry:
http://www.mindat.org/photo-342446.html
20th Apr 2011 13:17 UTCUwe Kolitsch Manager
"... Cava Bianchi (in seguito Mantegazza)" Bianchi quarry is a former name of the Mantegazza quarry.
20th Apr 2011 22:07 UTCMickey Marks
21st Apr 2011 02:45 UTCSteve Stuart Expert
http://www.mindat.org/loc-73163.html
Apparently, it's known by a different name now! Perhaps Domenic Preite or some else familiar with the quarries can add Bianchi to the locality string and also add bastnaesite to the minerals list if it can be supported by a reference.
I'm having trouble with dirt in my camera that leaves ugly tracks in my stacked images, so I cannot post an image of the bastnaesite. It shows brick red hexagonal prisms, very much like:
http://www.mindat.org/photo-121846.html and
http://www.mindat.org/photo-236049.html .
Thanks,
Steve
21st Apr 2011 09:59 UTCLuca Baralis Expert
-------------------------------------------------------
> Apparently, it's known by a different name now!
Yes, it is now Gebel quarry. However I think the most know it as Mantegazza quarry, or with the older name Bianchi quarry.
In the time, just after 1st WW, it (probably) was Sioli quarry.
Usually, names are taken from the owner or the operator of the quarry, so often they may change in the time... then many quarries get also a name from the site of exploitation, and that is reported on official papers. It can be quite messy.
Luca
21st Apr 2011 11:19 UTCUwe Kolitsch Manager
18th May 2012 02:40 UTCSteve Stuart Expert
The first one shows very small sprays of acicular crystals. My first guess is mimetite, but would like to hear from other collectors of specimens from these quarries. Are there other possible IDs?
I'm not sure that the second image shows mimetite. The habits seems to be different than the first image. Any opinions?
Thanks and regards,
Steve
18th May 2012 09:42 UTCAntonio Gamboni Expert
If it was a uranium ore the doubt remains among "uranophane" and weeksite.
If he were not a uranium ore could then be vanadinite.
Is still very difficult to give definite answers only for a photo, even knowing all the minerals hitherto found in Cuasso
Best Regards.
18th May 2012 18:19 UTCSteve Stuart Expert
18th May 2012 21:11 UTCUwe Kolitsch Manager
19th May 2012 00:36 UTCSteve Stuart Expert
22nd May 2012 08:46 UTCDomenico Preite Expert
16th Jun 2012 15:45 UTCSteve Stuart Expert
Thanks!
Steve Stuart
16th Jun 2012 19:30 UTCLuca Baralis Expert
Laghetto (=little lake) quarry is at est of the village - that's Cavagnano. You can see the lake. I think it's not an official name, but it is normally used by collectors.
Cava tormaline alias Tourmaline quarry (also a non official name) is S-W outside of the picture. I think It cannot be seen on Google Earth as nowadays it is only a stony landfill covered by bushes.
Puricelli quarry is otside of the picture too, N of the laghetto quarry.
16th Jun 2012 20:18 UTCSteve Stuart Expert
http://www.strahlen.org/vp/it/cuassoalmonte/
The SE quarry is Bonomi. The center quarry is Puricelli. The abandoned quarry NE of Puricelli is Laghetto. This information is provided by Domenico Preite. Still cannot place the Gebel quarry, not Cava Toumaline on Google Earth yet.
Note that this image locates the Gebel on the same site as Puricelli. Still needs more clarity!
Thanks,
Steve
16th Jun 2012 22:16 UTCLuca Baralis Expert
That is the Gebel quarry (references: S. Mercadante, I minerali di cava Bonomi. Gr. Ed. L'Espresso, 2011. map on page 14).
Some times ago there where problems 'cause collectors made rocks fall down on the houses downside the Puricelli quarry. It surely cannot happen in that site!
I know as Puricelli quarry an old abandoned quarry north of Laghetto quarry, upstream (north of the road Cuasso - Cavagnano, see on google Earth).
17th Jun 2012 00:17 UTCSteve Stuart Expert
Regards,
Steve
17th Jun 2012 00:23 UTCSteve Stuart Expert
I have put the Puricelli icon in an area of rocky outcrops north of the Laghetto quarry, as Luca describes. Is one of these outcrops the old quarry?
Steve
17th Jun 2012 08:27 UTCLuca Baralis Expert
However, here is what I remember of the trip I made there two years ago.
Tourmaline quarry mark is only indicative of the area as I can't recognize it by the map.
19th Jun 2012 01:06 UTCSteve Stuart Expert
Steve
5th Jul 2012 03:29 UTCSteve Stuart Expert
Thanks!
Steve
23rd Jul 2012 17:06 UTCDomenico Preite Expert
(from AMI Db-AMI) to explain bastnaesite-(Ce) →is intermedium prism large corredated by two "synchysite" on the margin
I repeat the exagonal extern are "synchysite" and intermediate crystal is bastnaesite-(Ce)....
My opinion is that is sure not sure the identification between synchysite-(Ce) and synchysite-(Y), in a recent conference in Bergamo Dr.Pietro Vignola of Milan university (after analysis) said that synchysite-(Ce) and synchysite-(Y) are present but synchysite-(Y) is very rare respect synchysite-(Ce) that is te term common.
http://dbami.amiminerals.it/lfm/viewer.php?albid=66&stage=3&imgid=2593
http://dbami.amiminerals.it/lfm/viewer.php?albid=66&stage=3&imgid=2644
Now in the follow message I can try to insert a photo to explain using colours..
23rd Jul 2012 17:14 UTCDomenico Preite Expert
of two synchysite-(Ce) (cream colour)
http://www.mindat.org/photo-342435.html
and again this photo to show a double sandwich...!!!
http://www.mindat.org/photo-330009.html
Ciao Steve...
24th Jul 2012 01:13 UTCSteve Stuart Expert
Here are some 2 mm images I recently made. Any opinions as to ID? I will withdraw the bastaesite ID based on Domenico's comments.
Regards,
Steve
26th Jul 2012 15:25 UTCDomenico Preite Expert
2) for me synchysiste-(Ce) but need accurate analysis because some samples may be synchysiste-(Y)
3) not clear photo!!
Ciao
11th Apr 2021 13:01 UTCPaolo Giovanni Biffi
"...Warning: In very recent times some oustanding crystals of amethyst, a classic and highly sought mineral from the former Bianchi quarry (presently Gebel), attributed to an obscure find in the area of Cuasso al Monte, appeared on the market. Although these crystals, whose origin is Brandberg (Namibia), are very similar in morphology and habit to the authentic ones, some features (constant absence of dull faces, high abundance of double-terminated crystals, absence among the associated minerals of pink orthoclase, fluorite, dolomite and siderite, etc.) allow to distinguish them from those of Cuasso al Monte (Guastoni & Gentile, 2016). ..."
A more recent article appeared in LAPIS (probably in 2017, but all of us can check and be more precise if needed) clearly documented with sample and in situ pictures that the so called "
obscure find in the area of Cuasso al Monte" was indeed an outstanding finding done at the Gebel Quarry (ex Mantegazza, ex Bianchi), approximately in 2009 (on my memory but the quoted article is maybe more precise) during one of the last period of activity of the quarry.
As it is well known that at least implicitly , reference was indeed made to such finding, I suggest and ask the staff of Mindat to remove the mentioned "Warning", in order to avoid that unchecked news are divulgated.
11th Apr 2021 13:21 UTCPaolo Giovanni Biffi
12th Apr 2021 16:23 UTCPaolo Bosio
14th Apr 2021 17:04 UTCLuca Baralis Expert
Are we sure that warning is unnecessary?
What I read in it is that on the market you can find real Cuasso al Monte amethysts as well as some (good) fake from Brandeberg .
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Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2024, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: March 28, 2024 15:41:48