Tantalite-(Mn) from
Strickland Quarry, Strickland pegmatite, Collins Hill, Portland, Middlesex County, Connecticut, USA
| Locality type: | Quarry | ||||||
| Classification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species: | Tantalite-(Mn) | ||||||
| Formula: | Mn2+Ta2O6 | ||||||
| Comments: | Usually as small (<1") but well-formed crystals in the mineralized part of the cleavelandite-quartz intermediate zone. Analyses, even just SG, are generally lacking. Schooner (1958) reports: "W. G. Foye reported [it] in 1929. An analysis of such material, made for Ronald Januzzi, showed the manganese oxide content to be 13.96% [but what are the other elements' abundances?]. Many rich specimens have been found on the old dumps. The author obtained several superb examples at the vein of lithium minerals in the bottom of the quarry, in 1954. Half inch crystals, and larger masses, were embedded in a matrix of cleavelandite and amblygonite [montebrasite]. The material showed a gradation from dark brown to bright red... the latter nearly transparent and of great beauty. Some was iridescent. The luster was resinous and the manganotantalite exhibited a perfect parting which gave it a micaceous appearance." But some more brown crystals have later proven to be wodginite, which was not recognized in 1958. Many reddish crystals with some transparency have been labeled tantalite-(Mn) but visually could be columbite-(Mn) and such crystals without supporting analyses should be labeled as columbite-(Mn)-tantalite-(Mn) series. | ||||||
| Habit: | elongated to tabular prisms | ||||||
| Colour: | deep maroon with iridescence | ||||||
| Quality for species: | Good crystals or rich for species - important (!) | ||||||
| Abundance at site: | Rare | ||||||
| Confirmation | |||||||
| Validity: | Believed Valid | ||||||
| Data | |||||||
| Mineral Data: | Click here to view Tantalite-(Mn) data | ||||||
| Locality Data: | Click here to view Strickland Quarry, Strickland pegmatite, Collins Hill, Portland, Middlesex County, Connecticut, USA | ||||||
| Photo Gallery | View Gallery (3 photos) | ||||||
| Data Identifiers | |||||||
| Mindat Occurrence Record ID: | 646671 | ||||||
| Long-form Identifier: | 1:3:646671:8 | ||||||
| GUID (UUID V4): | 73e02a00-afd4-4875-b937-fd387f329875 | ||||||
| Nearest other occurrences of Tantalite-(Mn) | |||||||
| 3.0km (1.8 miles) | ⓘWalden Gem Quarry, Portland, Middlesex County, Connecticut, USA | ||||||
| 10.2km (6.4 miles) | ⓘAnderson No. 1 Mica Mine (Swanson Mine; Swanson Lithia Mine; Old Lithia Mine; Chatham Lithia Mine), East Hampton (Chatham), Middlesex County, Connecticut, USA | ||||||
| 16.9km (10.5 miles) | ⓘHewitt Gem Quarry (Herb's Gem Quarry; Sawmill Quarry), Haddam, Middlesex County, Connecticut, USA | ||||||
| 79.3km (49.3 miles) | ⓘFillow Quarry (Branchville Quarry; Branchville Mica Mine; Smith Mine), Branchville, Redding (Reading), Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA | ||||||
| References | |||||||
| Reference Search (possible matching items) | |||||||
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Strickland Quarry, Strickland pegmatite, Collins Hill, Portland, Middlesex County, Connecticut, USA