| 18 Rows |
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 Ameghinite
An oddly-shaped micro of ameghinite (an anhydrous sodium neso-triborate) from the type amd only locality of the Tinkalayu Mine, Salar del Hombre Muerto, Salta, Argentina. Ex: Tony Jones (May 2012) with David Shannon Minerals and Southern Minerala and Fossils tags. Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! | |
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 Aristarainite
A micro of colorless aristarainite (a hydrated sodium magnesium ino-hexaborate) on a borate matrix from the Eagle Borax o;Spring in Death Valley, Inyo County, California. Thanks to Paolo Bracci's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! |
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 Azoproite
An excellent miniature of black submillimeter-sized grains of azoproite (an iron magnesium titanium borate and a member of the ludwigite group) in matrix from the type locality of the Tazjeranskii massif, Lake Baikal area,
Transbaikalia, eastern Siberia, Russia. Ex: Fersman Mineralogical Museum. Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! | |
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| Row 2 |
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 Behierite
A large thumbnail of two grayish-brown behierite (tantalum niobium monoborate) crystals in quartz from the type locality of the Manjaka pegmatite, Sahatany Valley, Ibity, Antsirabe, Madagascar, Africa. It's the tantalum analog of and is isostructural with schiavinatoite. The pink mineral is the rubellite variety of tourmaline. Thanks to John Veevaert at Trinity Minerals for the specimen and the images! | |
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 Blatterite
A micro with a submillimeter crystal (larger image, middle) of blatterite (a primarily manganese(II) oxymonoborate) on probably a mixed manganese oxide matrix from the type locality of the old Kittel Mine, Nordmark, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden. It also contains manganese(III), magnesium, iron(III), and antimony. Thanks to Victoria Borner's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! | |
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 Boracite
A 3mm boracite (a magnesium chloroborate) crystal on matrix from Bernburg, Saxony, Germany. Boracite's one of the hardest borates (7 - 7.5) and is also pyro and piezoelectric - it forms a complete series with ericaite, its iron analog and is dimorphic with trembathite. Manganese (chambersite) can partially replace the magnesium. Synthetic boracites are studied for sensor and actuator applications - the nickel and chromium boracties are also ferroelectric. Thanks to Mike Keim at Marin Minerals for the specimen! |
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| Row 3 |
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 Boracite
Two intergrown boracite cubes from Sehnde, Hanover, Germany. Thanks to Robert Stoufer's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! |
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 Boracite
A deep grayish-green boracite crystal from Solveigh Hall (Solvayhall), Bernberg, Germany. It's unfortunate that boracite crystals are invariably so small! Ex: James Carryer Collection Thanks to the Shadyside Mining Company table at the 2003 Carnegie Gem & Mineral Show for the specimen! |
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 Boracite
This 1cm pale blue-green boracite crystal is from the Alto Chapare district, Chapare Province, Cochabamba Department, Bolivia, and was collected by Alfredo Petrov, the Bolivian mineral dealer. Thanks to Jan Garland's (Fine Rocks) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images! |
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| Row 4 |
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 Boracite
A very sharp blue-green 3mm boracite crystal with octahedral corner mods from the Gröne Mine, Bernburg, Germany. Thanks to Peter Maurer's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! | |
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 Boracite
An excellent thumbnail of sparkling pale blue-green boracite crystals from the potash and salt mine at Boulby, Loftus, North Yorkshire, England. These boracite clusters date to the famous early 1990s find. Thanks to Glyn & Elaine Smith's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! |
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 Boracite
A very comples 5mm dark-green boracite crystal from Bernburg, Stassfurt Potash Deposit, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. These face mocifications are thought to occur as unstable high-temperature boracite cools. Thanks to Robert Vano's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images! |
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| Row 5 |
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 Borax
The most important borate mineral, borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate), has dozens of uses - from glass, detergents, and pharmaceuticals to fire retardants, insecticides, and the manufacturing of boron and other boron chemicals. This miniature comes from Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernadino County, California and, like most borax crystals, is coated with tincalconite, the pentahydrate. Thanks to Paul Williams' auction on eBay for the specimen and the images! |
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 Borcarite
A nice micro of massive borcarite (a complex calcium magnesium neso-tetraborate-carbonate) from the type locality of the Snezhnoe B ore occurrence, Yakutia, Russia. It has a Tony Jones dealer tag. Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! | |
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 Canavesite
Canavesite's a very rare magnesium carbonatohydroborate that usually occurs as beautiful tiny acicular radiating clusters, as in this miniature from the type locality of the Miniera Salvere, Brosso (pyrite) Mine, Ivrea, Italy. The matrix is a magnetite-pyrite mix. Thanks to Brian McManus' (Pebble Peddler) auction on eBay for the specimen! | | |
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| Row 6 |
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 Colemanite
This colemanite (a calcium hydroxyborate) comes from the Boron Pit, U.S> Borax Mine, Boron, Kern County, California. It's mined as an ore of boron and used in making borax. Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen! |
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 Colemanite
A beautiful sharp thumbnail colemanite crystal from the type locality of the Furnace Creek District, Death Valley, Inyo County, California. Collected in the 1950s, it fluoresces light orange under longwave UV. Thanks to Frank Butler's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! | | |
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 Fedorovskite
A micromount of brown fedorovskite (a calcium magnesium manganese hydroxytetraborate) on matrix from the type locality of the Solongo boron mineral deposit, Vitim Plateau, Buriatia, Transbaikalia, Russia. It forms a series with roweite, the fully manganese endmember - the typical ratio of magnesium to manganese is 3:1. Thanks to Sönke Stolze's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images! | |
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| Row 7 |
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 Fluoborite
A miniature of compacted fibrous fluoborite (magnesium hydroxyfluoborate) from the New Method Mine, Bristol Mountains, Amboy, Mojave Desert, Near Ludlow, San Bernadino County, California. Thanks to Anthony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen! |
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 Gaudefroyite
Gaudefroyite's a calcium manganese hydroxycarbonatoborate. This was a difficult specimen to photograph - the needles are gaudefroyite and there's a few hematites (larger image, closeup) and the grayer area has a coating of hausmannite (a manganese oxide, here probably a weathering product). This one came from the Kalahari manganese fields, Kuruman, South Africa. Thanks to Chris Korpi at Pangaea Minerals for the specimen! |
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 Gaudefroyite
Excellent crystals of gaudefroyite on quartz with yellow crystalline and granular ettringite and a thin layer of andradites from one of the N'Chwaning Mines in the Kalahari manganese fields, Kuruman, South Africa. Thanks to Veronica Matthews' auction on eBay for the specimen! |
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| Row 8 |
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 Hambergite
A rare thumbnail of hambergite (beryllium hydroxymetaborate) from the Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, San Diego County, California. It's another one of the hard (7.5) borates. Thanks to Mike Keim at Marin Minerals for the specimen and the image! |
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 Henmilite
Crystals of deep blue henmilite (calcium copper hydroxyborate) on a calcite (miniature) matrix from the 2003 find at the type (and only) locality of the Fuka Mine, Bitchu-Cho Okayama Prefecture, Japan Thanks to John Veevaert at Trinity Minerals for the specimen and the images! | |
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 Henmilite
A single 5mm henmilite crystal from the same occurrence at the Fuka Mine, Japan. Thanks to Val Collins' auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! | |
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| Row 9 |
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 Hydroboracite
A miniature of hydroboracite (a hydrated calcium magnesium borate) on anhydrite from the anhydrite mine at Niedersachswerfen, Nordhausen, Harz Mts, Thuringia, Germany. Collected by Emil Stoyanov. Thanks to Emil Stoyanov's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images! |
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 Inderite
Two thumbnails of inderite (magnesium hydroxyborate pentahydrate and the dimorph of kurnakovite) from Boron, Kern County, California. Thanks to Mike Keim at Marin Minerals for the specimen and the image! |
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 Inyoite
A fascinating small cabinet specimen of intergrown inyoite (a hydrated calcium hydroborate) crystals with colorless tiny meyerhofferite crystals (larger image, upper right) from Nacimineto Sijes, Salta Province, Argentina. Unfortunately, this locale has been cleaned out. Thanks to Dave Bunk's (Dave Bunk Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! |
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| Row 10 |
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 Jeremejevite
Jeremejevite's a hard (7) borate and it often occurs in pale blue facetable crystals like this one from the North End of Erongo Massif, Namibia. It's an aluminum hydroxyfluoroborate. Thanks to SoCal Nevada's auction on eBay for the specimen and images! |
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 Kurnakovite
A miniature of transparent kurnakovite (magnesium hydroxyborate pentahydrate) from (maybe the Baker Mine operation at) the U.S. Borax Mine, Boron, Kern County, California, and collected by Jack Crawford, geologist for U.S. Borax. It's dimorphic with inderite. |
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 Londonite
Londonite's a rare cesium potassium beryllium aluminum berylloborate that generally occurs in small dodecahedral crystals, like this 4mm one from the type locality of the Antandrokomby pegmatite, Mt.Ibity, Antsirabe, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar. It forms a series with rhodizite, where the potassium predominates. Thanks to Martin Gale's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! | |
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| Row 11 |
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 Ludwigite
A miniature of dark green ludwigite (a magnesium iron borate) intergrown with chalcopyrite from the Brosso Mine, Level 365, Piedmont, Italy. Ex: Bachman Collection. It forms a series with vonsenite where ferrous iron replaces the magnesium. Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! |
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 Meyerhofferite
A nice reference specimen of meyerhofferite (a calcium hydroxyborate) from Death Valley, Inyo County, California (may be from the type locality of the Mount Bianco Mine). Ex: Twin Seas Estate. Thanks to Jeff & Heather McCammon's (Second Nature Colorado) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images! |
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 Nifontovite
A thumbnail of rare nifontovite (a hydrated calcium hydroxymetaborate) from the Fuka Mine, Fuka, Bitchu-cho, Takahashi, Okayama, Japan. Ex Mineral Zone and IMA meeting (Kobe) 2006. Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! |
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| Row 12 |
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 Pinakiolite
A miniature of glossy black tabular pinakiolite (a magnesium manganese antimony pentaborate) crystals in dolomite from the type locality of Långban, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden. It's a polymorph with fredrikssonite, orthopinakiolite, and takéuchiite. Thanks to Tony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen! | |
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 Pinnoite
This miniature of crystalline pinnoite (a hydrated magnesium borate) on a borate (probably inderite) matrix is from the Inder B deposit and salt dome, Atyrau, Kazakhstan. Thanks to Adam Larson's (Adam's Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen! |
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 Priceite
A miniature of massive priceite (a hydrated calcium borate) from Mule Canyon, Yermo, San Bernardino County, California. This piece is from the Harry Uhl Collection and was collected August 12, 1940. Thanks to Jennings "Beau" Gordon's (Jendon Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen! |
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| Row 13 |
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 Probertite
A miniature of rare probertite (a hydrated sodium calcium hydroxyborate) crystals from the 1987 find at the Borax Open Pit, Boron, Kern County, California (the finest U.S. occurrence ever reported). Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen! |
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 Rhodizite
The hardest (8 - 8.5) borate is rhodizite, a rare potassium cesium beryllium aluminum berylloborate, that generally occurs in small dodecahedral crystals, like this one from west of Sahanivotry, Sahatany Valley, about 50 km south of Antsirabe, Tsilaisina, Madagascar. It forms a series with londonite, where the cesium predominates (over the potassium) - though no pure potassic end member has been found. Thanks to Emilie & Ron Kendig's auction on eBay for the specimen! |
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 Rhodizite
A small miniature of rhodizite on feldspar from Mt. Bity, Antandrokomby, Madagascar. There's also a purplish-red unidentified crystal (larger image, lower right) present. Thanks to Anthony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen! |
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| Row 14 |
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 Rhodizite
A colorful miniature from Madagascar comprising a yellow rhodizite, red elbaites, and a blue beryl. Thanks to Mike Keim at Marin Minerals for the specimen and the images! | |
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 Sassolite
Near type locality sassolite (natural boric acid) on gypsum miniature from Larderello, Pomarance, Cecina valley, Pisa, Tuscany, Italy. Thanks to Kim & Cindy Strange's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! |
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 Szaibelyite
A nice miniature cluster of szaibelyite (magnesium hydroxyborate) fibers from Dypingdal, Snarum, Buskerud, Norway. It forms a series with sussexite where manganese partially (up to 80%) replaces the magnesium. Thanks to Anthony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen! |
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| Row 15 |
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 Szaibelyite,
var. Ascharite
Off-white coatings of the ascharite variety of szaibelyite on magnetite with minor pyrite and serpentine from the Brosso Mine, Torino, Italy. At one time, ascharite was considered a separate mineral (magnesium mesoborate monohydrate, Mg2B2O5 · H2O) - most references now consider them to be synonymous. Thanks to Kim & Cindy Strange's auction on eBay for the specimen! |
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 Szaibelyite,
var. β-Ascharite
Like my ascharite (α-ascharite) at left, beta-ascharite is also now just a synonym for szaibelyite. The environment in which this was found, Inder Lake, Kasakhstan, precluded an initially accurate analysis. It's still a neat old miniature! Thanks to Carol Crabtree's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! |
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 Szaibelyite,
var. Camsellite
Camsellite is also now considered a synonym for szaibelyite - the original find in British Columbia, Canada, occured in flat-laying fibers precluding a match to szaibelyite's optical axial angle. This miniature with a dusty coating of fibrous camsellite on serpentine is from Nehil Stinson Beach, Bolinas Bay, Marin County, California. It's ex: W. Scott Lewis Collection. Thanks to Vince Olsovsky's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images! |
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| Row 16 |
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 Teepleite
A thumbnail of massive teepleite (a sodium hydroxyborate chloride) from Borax&nbp;Lake, Lake County, California. Ex: Joe Cilen Collection with an early Frazier's label. Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen! |
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 Teruggite
A micromount nodule of extremely rare teruggite (a complex hydrated calcium magnesium arsenate borate) from the type locality of the Loma Blanca Deposit, Coranzuli, Susques Dept, Jujuy Prov, Argentina. Thanks to Kyle Smith's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images! | |
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 Tincalconite
This tincalconite (hydrated sodium borate) thumbnail comes from California. It's often a dehydration product of borax - I can't tell whether that's the case here. |
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| Row 17 |
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 Tunellite
A good thumbnail of stacked tunellite (a hydrated strontium hydroxyhexaborate) crystals from the Boron Mine near Boron, Kern County, California. Tunellite from this locale often has some barium present. |
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 Ulexite
The famous "TV rock", this sodium calcium borate presaged the fiber optic industry. This habit only occurs in Boron, Kern County, California. |
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 Ulexite
Ulexite more often occurs as random needles and tufts - as in this second specimen from Boron, California. The white chunky crystals are probably borax. Thanks to Jean & Audrey's (ALKO) auction on eBay for the specimen! |
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| Row 18 |
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 Ulexite
From the 2010 find at the Anniversary Mine, White Basin, Muddy Mountains District, Clark County, Nevada comes this beautiful orange ulexite! I haven't yet seen an explanation for the color. Thanks to Jerry Burkhart's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images! |
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 Veatchite on
Colemanite
A very nice (and very fragile) miniature of veatchite crystals on colemanite from the Billie Mine, Furnace Creek district, Death Valley, Inyo County, California. Thanks to Tony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen! |
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 Vonsenite
When ferrous iron replaces the magnesium in ludwigite it becomes vonsenite - this miniature is probably from the type locality of the Old City Quarry near Crestmore, Riverside County, California. Ex: John L. Baum Collection. Thanks to Vince Olsovsky's auction on eBay for the specimen! | |
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| Row 19 |
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 Warwickite
An excellent miniature of dark-gray crystal fragments and a vein of warwickite (a titanium magnesium iron oxyborate) in calcite from probably the type locality of Edenville, Warwick County, New York. The front and back views (larger image, top row) show that the warwickite vein passes through the specimen. Thanks to Jon Green's auction on eBay for the specimen! | |
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 Wightmanite
An excellent miniature of light-tan wightmanite (a magnesium hydroxymonoborate dihydrate) crystals on pale blue calcite marble from the type locality of the Commercial quarry, at Sky Blue Hill, Crestmore quarries, Crestmore, Riverside County, California. Wightmanite is initially colorless to pale green (see these pictures) but alters to a more commonly seen tan - probably due to a small amount of iron (~2% FeO in a typical analysis). The structure contains a large diameter (4x6 Å) "pipe" parallel to the fiber axis. Thanks to David J. Lewis' auction on eBay for the specimen and the image! | |
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 Yuanfuliite
This micro of slender yaunfuliite (a ferrosoferric, magnesium, aluminum, titanium oxyborate) needles (larger image, second row) on matrix is from the Nuestra Señora del Carmen Mines, La Celia, Jumilla, Murcia, Spain. This was once thought to be merely an iron-rich variety of warwickite, but the iron(II) content makes it a new mineral. The Jumillite yuanfuliites can also contain chromium(III) - a Cr-rich endmember is theoretically possible. Thanks to Stefano Broetto's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images! |
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