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Generalanalcite

10th Jun 2018 22:32 UTCCecil Cosse

In reading Art Smith's "The Mineralogy of Texas", under analcite there was no mention of this locality:

On Terlingua Ranch is a very, very short section (just a few feet long) in a dike that is an zone of small cavities containing perfect analcite crystal which are less than 1mm in size. It really requires a microscope / loupe to view the crystals. I discovered this locality in the very early 90's. There was not much in way of material to begin with, so I may have collected all that was available.

Cecil

10th Jun 2018 23:05 UTCBob Harman

On this website there is at least 1 prior thread discussing very small localized localities. Most every dedicated field collector has, at one time or another, found these small localized sites. I know that here in Indiana I have found calcite crystals in a few cavities where there is no described locality and no prior finds have occurred. Frankly, for most field collectors, this seems to be a common occurrence. CHEERS.......BOB

10th Jun 2018 23:13 UTCKevin Conroy Manager

Cecil, was your find written up?

11th Jun 2018 00:05 UTCCecil Cosse

Kevin,

There is no prior description of this locality as far as I know. Why do you ask? It is really out of the way on Terlingua Ranch.

Cecil

11th Jun 2018 01:39 UTCKevin Conroy Manager

I was just thinking that this may be an example of why when a previously unreported species is found at a new locale it needs to be written up. I'm not talking about a long winded multi-page opus. All that's needed is a report of the analysis of the species, info about the discovery, and maybe a photo or two. This will allow future collectors and researchers access the information. In print is a more permanent record (something like Mineral News, Mineralogical Record, Rocks and Minerals, etc.), but Jolyon is also saving pdf files of reports.

As Bob said, I'm not suggesting that every time someone finds a small calcite crystal in a road cut that they need to alert the media. In this case analcime is certainly known from Brewster County ( https://www.mindat.org/locentries.php?p=16765&m=210 ), but it's relatively uncommon so it may be noteworthy to expand the known distribution in the area.

15th Jun 2018 10:43 UTCCecil Cosse

Kevin,

I'll try to add a photo or two of the analcite crystals when I have a chance.

Cecil

15th Jun 2018 14:34 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

As good as Art was when it came to Texas minerals, I'm sure he couldn't have possibly covered every little outcrop of mineralisation across the state. I'm sure there are many more spots like this across the state that are undiscovered. The biggest obstacle here in Texas is almost everything is private and access is restricted.

15th Jun 2018 20:26 UTCCecil Cosse

Art was not a big field collector for as long as I knew him, and that was from the 70s. So, I am sure he could not have known of every locality, just based on that info alone. Still, he did a great job on his book, and it is informative, a must have for collectors.

I know of yet another locality with a huge amount of small pockets of zeolites (again, the overall length in feet of deposition is small). The problem is finding someone who can do the x-ray diffraction work. The variety of minerals is seeming high, but the crystal size is small to very tiny.

16th Jun 2018 01:13 UTCKevin Conroy Manager

Given the proximity of the locations to the school, I wonder if Sul Ross State University would do it.

27th Jun 2018 14:02 UTCCecil Cosse

Maybe a good idea. Do you know if they have a diffractometer capable of analyst of very, very small specimens? Some machines cannot analyze tiny pieces.

Cecil

27th Jun 2018 16:49 UTCTom Tucker

The comment was made that Art may not have been a prolific field collector, being in Texas, and all. I've always thought of Art as a major field collator - look at al the collecting articles he published in Rocks and Minerals. He'd done extensive collecting in Maine, Arkansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas, and Perhaps New Mexico. His "Mineralogy of Texas" is first class. You won't find many better field collectors. and writers. Tom

27th Jun 2018 17:39 UTCDavid Von Bargen Manager

When Art was in college he collected in the Black Hills and as a young family man he went to Colorado. In later life he spent considerable time in New Hampshire during the summers. During the fall and spring, he would collect in Arkansas. He did collect a lot of micromounts over the years.

Probably from the 70's, Texas became an extremely difficult place to collect. You couldn't get into the oil (and sulfur) fields around salt domes and general collecting in the State became very difficult. Going to West Texas was at least a 500 mile drive and the collecting was nearer and better in Arkansas (he was a funding member of the Coon Creek group).

He was an active bibliophile, developing the Houston club's library.

27th Jun 2018 19:29 UTCKevin Conroy Manager

Cecil, I'm not sure what equipment Sul Ross has. Here's some contact info: https://www.sulross.edu/faculty-and-staff/Geology Good luck!

28th Jun 2018 06:48 UTCCecil Cosse

Tom Tucker,

If listing all the places one visited is proof of extensive collecting, damn, I've collected in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, New Mexico, old Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, South Dakota, etc.

I guess I need to write about each experience so I can be credited with being known as an extensive collector. I can tell you right now that in one or two years I collected more in Arkansas than Art did over the years and years that I knew him. He made that Coon Creek trip it seems like every year to Arkansas, but that was it. I don't recall him ever making a trip to Tucson for the mineral show. Maybe he did before I knew him. He never showed any minerals he collected / bought at the HGMS club mineral meetings.

Cecil Cosse

28th Jun 2018 06:57 UTCCecil Cosse

Kevin,

I need to check Sul Ross re diffraction ability. Frankly, I want to go back to collect more specimens before releasing the locality to the general public because I am sure that would end collecting there or it would be collected out. It is a long-ish trip, but can be made in a day easily from here in Houston.

Cecil Cosse

28th Jun 2018 10:57 UTCDavid Von Bargen Manager

Art did make trips to Tucson, although he usually didn't stay there more than a few days.

He bequeathed his collection to Wheaton University. It was a total of 30,000 specimens of which 20,000 were micromounts.

28th Jun 2018 12:55 UTCBob Harman

DAVID V B,

He bequeathed his collection to WHEATON COLLEGE (not university). A religious institution of very hi standing, but otherwise a rather odd place as their views on creationism and evolution don't matchup with most of our scientific geological views.

CHEERS.......BOB

28th Jun 2018 15:20 UTCCecil Cosse

I remember Art had an enormous aegerine crystal that would make anyone jealous! I guess assume he bought it from the guy in Malvern or Benton that had a rock shop. I got a small aegerine from the man as he had cancer and was dying. It is a fantastic crystal. I wonder what happened to that xl? Man, I hope he didn't donate it unless it is on display all the time at Wheaton.

Cecil Cosse

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