Identity Helpunknowns in Mount Malosa specimen
I have an orthoclase-aegirine-zircon specimen (link) with numerous micro species I can't visually identify. Maybe someone can. The most important is the glossy black platy mineral in these photos; it forms amazing twin groups with plates perpendicular to one another (FOV=3 mm, attached photo):
This mineral is almost always associated with the piecrust-looking, pale flaky mineral, which I'd also like to identify.
Look closely and you'll see the platy mineral is partly encrusted by a dark orange mineral. Here is an excellent example; the right group is completely coated (FOV=2 mm):
This orange mineral appears elsewhere, like here. The specimen also bears fergusonite-(Y) crystals.
Hematite and altered hematite? Powder a tiny piece and see what color the powder is. 
Destructive tests out of the question. Does hematite form twins like this? 
I think Reiner is correct. Hematite does form tabular or plate-like crystals that are black. Also the traces on the surface of the crystal at the left in the first photo are rhombus shaped with the edges apparently parallel to the crystal edges - - looks like it could be trigonal. 
Ilmenite and/or pyrophanite, for the black crystals, are equally likely I had thought ilmenite more likely than hematite, and I looked at pyrophanite. Maybe I can get the entire specimen into the SEM ;-). 
I was also thinking hematite / ilmenite but have never seen any photos of those from this location before.... could the orangey brown stuff coating the blades be siderite? For those who answered my request and looked at the photos...many thanks. SEM work resolved the problem, we have ilmenite and monazite in a number of forms, see the updates to my photos.
cheers,
Tony
