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Identity HelpPakistani question

15th Mar 2009 10:24 UTCSergey Sayamov

This is a specimen of aquamarine on albite from Shigar Apo Ali Gun region, Pakistan. Mineral in question is MM blackish-brown crystals on albite crystal. The first thing came to mind is goethite/limonite crystals, can it be so or there can be some other variants? Pyrite doesn't mentioned in minerals list for Shigar valley, there's no typical limonite rust and they're too shiny for a limonite ps pyrite...Any ideas are welcome.

15th Mar 2009 10:27 UTCSergey Sayamov

Some crosseyed 3d pics to show the crystals better.

18th Mar 2009 10:01 UTCSebastian Möller Expert

Hello,


Could be some titanium mineral or a phosphate mineral. There are quite some possibilities. Sometimes I thought of a crandallite group mineral such as crandallite itself or goyazite, sometimes of anatase or rutile (but for these two the shape of the xl seems to be a little odd.


Often there is no possibility of a positive ID only based on some photos if it isn't a locality a lot of research on even rare minerals has been made, so at least some locals have particular experience on determination of minerals from there.


Areas relatively new to the mineral world such as Pakistan (at least to the western countries with over 200 years of intense collecting) are often not well described in means of mineral ID's, so every finding like yours can be a new one for the area. In that case only an analysis can give a positive ID.


Regards,

Sebastian Möller

18th Mar 2009 13:59 UTCKnut Eldjarn 🌟 Manager

You could at least test if they are magnetic to exclude magnetite...


Knut

18th Mar 2009 15:34 UTCJesse Fisher Expert

I know that minerals of the columbite-tantalite and microlite groups are often found in pegmatites of the Shigar Valley region. You will likely need some analysis, at least the main-element chemistry from an SEM/EDS probe to get an idea to positively identify it, however.
 
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