Philippe Roth (2)'s Photo Gallery

7EU-MYXChalcopyrite CuFeS₂ , Baryte BaSO₄ , Marcasite FeS₂

Lengenbach Quarry, Fäld, Binn, Goms, Valais, Switzerland

Field of View: 3 mm

Chalcopyrite on baryte with tiny half-spheres of marcasite in a cavity of the grey dolomite.
Photo: Remo Zanelli. Collection: Michael Pöllendorfer.

H2T-0NPPyrite FeS₂

Lengenbach Quarry, Fäld, Binn, Goms, Valais, Switzerland

Field of View: 4.5 mm

Pyrite is ubiquitous in the Lengenbach quarry and therefore does not attract much attention from collectors primarily looking for rarities. However, pyrite can form aesthetically attractive crystals.
Photo: R. Zanelli. Collection: Michael Pöllendorfer.

6X6-6P9Altaite PbTe , Gold Au

Boulder County, Colorado, USA

Field of View: 6 mm

Altaite crystals partly covered by a very thin layer of gold (see also child photos). Exact mine unknown.
EDXS-measured by and obtained from: Frank Keutsch. Photo: Remo Zanelli. Collection: Philippe Roth

9X7-7JGMitridatite Ca₂Fe³⁺₃(PO₄)₃O₂·3H₂O , Jahnsite-(CaMnFe) {Ca}{Mn²⁺}{Fe²⁺₂}{Fe³⁺₂}(PO₄)₄(OH)₂·8H₂O , Rockbridgeite Fe²⁺Fe³⁺₄(PO₄)₃(OH)₅ , Cacoxenite Fe³⁺₂₄AlO₆(PO₄)₁₇(OH)₁₂·75H₂O

Ponte Valley, Brissago, Locarno, Ticino, Switzerland

Field of View: 1.3 mm

Green microcrystal coverage of mitridatite on fibro-radiated aggregates of dark green rockbridgeite, together with tan prismatic crystals of jahnsite-(CaMnFe) and tiny balls of yellow cacoxenite(?).
Photo: Remo Zanelli; EDXS analyses and collection: Philippe Roth

01T-61YTiragalloite Mn²⁺₄As⁵⁺Si₃O₁₂(OH) , Rhodonite CaMn₃Mn[Si₅O₁₅]

Tanatz Alp, Splügen, Rheinwald, Viamala Region, Grisons, Switzerland

Field of View: 3.1 mm

Orange tiragalloite crystals in epitactic growth on pink rhodonite. FOV 3.3 mm. The epitactic law is (010)[100]rho // (010)[001]tir. ("Piano di contatto" = plane of contact.)
Photo, SHAPE modeling and collection: Philippe Roth

Roth, P. (2011): Epitassia di tiragalloite su rodonite, Alpe Tanatz, Passo dello Spluga (Grigioni, Svizzera). Rivista Mineralogica Italiana, 2/2011, 100-103.

59C-NCKMarrite AgPbAsS₃ , Quadratite Ag(Cd,Pb)AsS₃ , Jordanite Pb₁₄As₆S₂₃

Lengenbach Quarry, Fäld, Binn, Goms, Valais, Switzerland

Field of View: 2.5 mm

Unusually shiny marrite crystal (marrite is often dull, which helps recognizing it), 'decorated' with a typical, tabular quadratite crystal (see child photo), together with jordanite and minor wurtzite (orange).
Photo: Remo Zanelli. Collection: Philippe Roth

0A9-TJ3Tennantite-(Hg) Cu₆(Cu₄Hg₂)As₄S₁₂S , Realgar As₄S₄

Lengenbach Quarry, Fäld, Binn, Goms, Valais, Switzerland

Field of View: 0.6 mm

What was to become the holotype of tennantite-(Hg). Specimen bought in a gift shop in Binn, extracted by the AGL, probably in the 1970s-1980s. Lengenbach is not famous for mercury and it came as a surprise that this species could first be characterized from this renowned sulfosalt locality. This is an almost pure end-member.
EDXS: Philippe Roth. Full characterization: Cristian Biagioni. Photo: Mischa Crumbach. Collection (what is left): Thomas Raber.

XU7-37FBalkanite Cu₉Ag₅HgS₈ , Chalcopyrite CuFeS₂

Vein No. 53, Aït Ahmane, Tansifte Caïdat, Agdz Cercle, Zagora Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco

Field of View: 2.7 mm

Acicular balkanite crystals with chalcopyrite (EDXS).
Microprobe analysis (Cu9.0Ag4.73Hg0.91Fe0.05S8.10, for 9 apfu Cu): D. Topa.
Corresponds to UK25 in:
Favreau, G., Barral, J.-P. (2019) Bou Azzer 2007-2019 - Mines et minéraux du district de Bou Azzer. Le Cahier des Micromonteurs 145, 3-129.
Photo: R. Zanelli. EDXS analysis and collection: P. Roth.

CGW-31TQuadratite Ag(Cd,Pb)AsS₃ , Proustite Ag₃AsS₃ , Jordanite Pb₁₄As₆S₂₃ , Wurtzite (Zn,Fe)S

Lengenbach Quarry, Fäld, Binn, Goms, Valais, Switzerland

Field of View: 1.2 mm

The only reason to post this photo is that quadratite occurs almost exclusively as tabular crystals. Prismatic crystals as this one are exceedingly rare (this may actually be the only one known?). Photo: Remo Zanelli. EDXS analysis and collection: Philippe Roth

1FD-QHQSpherocobaltite CoCO₃

Turtmann Valley, Turtmann-Unterems, Leuk, Valais, Switzerland

Field of View: 1.1 mm

Possibly the only known spherocobaltite specimen from Switzerland. Originally in the Grundmann, later in the Keutsch collection, most probably from the Kaltenberg mine. EDXS analysis: Frank Keutsch (Co>>Ca). Photo: Remo Zanelli. Collection: Philippe Roth.