Discussions

💬 Home 🔎 Search 📅 Latest

╳Discussions

💬 Home 🔎 Search 📅 Latest

Groups

Recent Images in Discussions

PhotosDiaspore - S & K Mine, Monywa, Monywa District, Sagaing Division, Burma

6th Jan 2014 17:34 UTCHarald Schillhammer Expert

Diaspore

Mong Hsu Township (Möng Hsu; Monghsu; Mong Hsu; Maing Hsu), Loilen District, Shan State, Myanmar

I am pretty sure that the given locality is wrong. All images referring to the S&K Copper mine (posted by R. Lawinsky and B. Kosnar) show characteristic Diaspores from Möng Hsu.

I understand that dealers add some bells and whistles to the descriptions of their minerals to make them more attractive to potential customers, but adding wrong information should be a no-go! I don't know who contrived the original text and who copied it from whom, but what's particularly suspicious is the phrase "To the best of my knowledge....", so it seems to me that the locality has been subsequently assigned because Diaspore happens to be recorded from this place.

Obviously, they have to refresh their knowledge because, in fact, Diaspore is known from other places in Burma as well, with Möng Hsu being the most important, with plenty of specimens offered in Burma and on the web.

Diaspore is also known from Mogok Township, but larger crystals are extremely rare and look different from the Möng Hsu ones. So far, I have seen only two larger specimens from Mogok township, one from my collection (still have to make a photograph) and an image of another specimen, namely by Sieghart Ellenberger.

In addition, small almost colorless Diaspore occurs (obviously as an alteration product) superimposed on corundum crystals that have been entirely or partly replaced by spinel. Images of specimens from my collection will follow in the near future.

BTW - the only image of a Mogok Diaspore on mindat is most likely also from Möng Hsu. In addition, I wonder if this has been properly analysed as Diaspore (-Mn), because the Möng Hsu Diaspores are Cr- bearing.

I do not know what the Monywa Diaspores look like, but if any substantial find would surface from Monywa, the local mineralogists and crystal diggers would know it. I asked them and they negated any knowledge of such Diaspores from Monywa.

8th Jan 2014 14:55 UTCRock Currier Expert

Rob Lavinsky tires to get his localities correct and he is still alive and you can ask him about any problems. Richie Kosnar, hmmm. Well, lets us just say that some people have difficulty in believing all of his localities are correct. But Richie is not longer with us so you can't ask him about it.

26th Jan 2014 20:46 UTCBrian Kosnar 🌟 Expert

I contributed the locality information for the Diaspores that appear periodically on Rob Lavinsky's mineralauctions.com listings. I have never visited Burma personally, but the crystals were sold to me directly from a dealer who travels to Burma on occasion, and gave Monywa as their origin. I simply copied the given information. If it is incorrect, we can easily change the listings on mindat, but in no way are we intentionally trying to mislead anybody.

This is why mindat is so valuable. Because anybody in the world can share their knowledge about obscure or rare minerals and make sure that the listings are correct.

Thanks to Harald for his contribution regarding these specimens.

27th Jan 2014 11:50 UTCHarald Schillhammer Expert

Hi Brian!

Thanks for your input. I hope my words did not appear too aggressive. Sometimes my straightforward manner results in a slight lack of diplomatic sensibility :).

Anyway, as I have pointed out several times, data received from dealers in Burma always have to be taken with some scepticism, unless they have collected the stuff by themselves or are known as reliable information source. That is a general problem with areas which produce abundant gem quality stuff - the real locale becomes rather unimportant. Sometimes the minerals are not even from Burma!

There is so much wrong information around as far as Burma localities are concerned that I just want to raise the awareness on this problem.

I will continue to be vigilant and point out every doubtful entry.

Cheers

Mindat.org is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2024, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: April 19, 2024 20:58:32

Go to top of page