PABSTITE
Pacific Limestone Products (Kalkar) Quarry, Santa Cruz County, California (type locale)
Pabstite is an uncommon member of the Benitoite group with the composition:  Ba(Sn,Ti)Si₃0₉.  The specimen shown here, in both white light and ultraviolet light, is one of the best known examples of this mineral with a complete, pale pink-tan individual trigonal outline crystal measuring 16 x 14 mm across.  This may be the only complete large crystal in existence.  See the crystal drawing (Fig. 13) in the “Mineralogical Record” magazine, Sept-Oct 1986, P. 325 (17:5:325).  Associated minerals include acicular white Tremolite, small veinlets and masses of non-crystallized Pabstite, plus minor amounts of Pyrrhotite, and possibly black massive Sphalerite.  Similar to Benitoite, Pabstite fluoresces bright, light sky blue under shortwave ultraviolet.  Jack Parnau collection, collected circa 1989-90.   2011 update:  The locality has been completely obliterated and covered by a housing tract and lake.

Order Item: MI-1765
Specimen size:  3 X 2 X 1 1/2”
Price:  $450.00 SOLD

 

STROMEYERITE
Magma Mine, near Superior, Pinal County, Arizona 
An extensive amount of information about this historic Arizona silver-copper mining property, first discovered in 1874, can be reviewed by going to the MINDAT web site and entering the words Magma Mine in the locality search.  The two specimens available here are each solid masses of pure, metallic gray-black Stromeyerite without matrix.  According to “Mineralogy of Arizona”, Anthony, et al., Third Edition (1995), P. 385, Stromeyerite was found sparingly in the hypogene ores of this deposit.  Stromeyerite is:  AgCuS.  The gram weights are given simply as a measure of specimen size -- the specimens are not sold by the gram.

MI-1377

MI-1377

ITEM NO. MI- WEIGHT (GRAMS) SPECIMEN SIZE (INCHES) SPECIMEN PRICE 1377 6.73 1 1/2 1/8 to 1/2 $28.50 1378 9.47 1 1/8 1/2 3/8+ $38.00

ZINCITE
Franklin / Sterling Hill, Sussex County, New Jersey
The mines at Franklin and Sterling Hill, NJ are undoubtedly the best known localities in the world for Zincite, (Zn,Mn²⁺)O.  Several specimens are available here, all with rich, to very rich amounts of dark red massive Zincite in matrix with one or more of the following associated minerals: Tephroite (lustrous, gray), Franklinite (metallic black), Willemite , Calcite (white), Rhodonite (light pink).  Item C. only has individual crystal sections of Zincite.  All specimens are from older collections, and have documented information as to which mine they were collected from.  Item B. has an old German label from the collection of Dr. B. Sturtz in Bonn. Two views of Item B. are given, to illustrate the presence of  numerous Franklinite crystals, up to 1/4”across, on both sides of the specimen.   Item D. also has an old German label, but no collector’s name on the label.  The German word for Zincite is Rotzinkerz.  The following abbreviations are for the associated minerals, in the table below:  T = Tephroite, W = Willemite, C = Calcite, R = Rhodonite,  and F = Franklinite.  Note that on item E. the Zincite is bicolored, both dark red and bright orange.

A.	B. Front	B. Back
C.	D.	E.

EDINGTONITE
Ice River Alkaline Complex, Yoho National Park, near Golden, British Columbia, Canada
Edingtonite is a rare zeolite found at only a few localities, worldwide.  The Edingtonite from the Ice River occurrence is of exceptional quality for the mineral, typically found as sharp, prismatic, colorless to white micro crystal prisms, usually in groups, on matrix.  Calcite is occasionally associated. Items B., C., E., and F. have Calcite associated.  Hemimorphism is very distinctly displayed on double terminated crystals -- items C., D., and F. have double terminated crystals, best appreciated with 10X or greater magnification.  Item F. is an exceptional example, worthy of any collection specializing in rare, display quality minerals.  The best references to the Ice River Edingtonite can be found in the “Mineralogial Record” magazine, Vol. 12, P. 221-226, and Vol. 14, P. 50-51, as well as in “Zeolites of the World”, Rudy Tschernich, P. 142-143 (1992). 

A.	B.	C.	D.
E.	F. (front)	F. (back)

MANGANVESUVIANITE
N’Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari Manganese Field, Northern Cape Province, South Africa
New mineral!  The specimens described below were collected at one of the two localities within the Kalahari Manganese Field where Manganvesuvianite was first identified from (type locality) – the N’Chwaning II Mine.  The N’Chwaning II Mine has been well known for many years as a source for fine crystallized Rhodochrosite, Hausmannite, Inesite, as well as many other manganese-bearing minerals.  Also see the listing for Poldervaartite on Page 1 of the rare minerals section of our web site (a link is below).  Manganvesuvianite forms translucent to opaque, typically small, dark maroon red to near black individual, prismatic, terminated crystals in groups, usually on a black Hausmannite matrix.  Minor white Barite is sometimes associated.  The pink mineral shown in some of the photos is an unknown – it may be crystalline / massive Rhodochrosite. The best reference for Manganvesuvianite in English is the “Mineralogical Magazine”, Vol. 66, P. 137-150.  Chemical composition is: Ca₁₉Mn(Al,Mn,Fe)₁₉(Mg,Mn)₂Si₁₈O₆₉(OH)₉. 

 Also see Poldervaartite, from the N’Chwaning II Mine.

A.	B.	C.	D.
E.	F.	G.	Typical close up of xtls	Typical close up of xtls

MANJIROITE
N’Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari Manganese Field , Northern Cape Province, South Africa
In addition to the new discovery of Maganvesuvianite described above, our contact for minerals from this locality was able to supply us with several examples of Manjiroite.  Chemical composition is: (Na,K)(Mn⁴⁺,Mn²⁺)₈0₁₆^.nH₂O  Manjiroite was found as lustrous, brown-black, cross-fiber veinlets running through a black matrix.  Considering the lack of “pizzazz” Manjiroite specimens generally have from other worldwide occurrences, these are really very nice examples of the mineral.  The quality and diversity of specimens from the Kalahari continues to be amazing!
 

A.

B.

C.

E.

KOTTIGITE-PARASYMPLESITE
Mina Ojuela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico
Kottigite was originally described from Schneeberg, Germany, and was reported to be pale pink to red in color.  The Mexican Kottigite is, in general, intermediate in composition between ideal Kottigite and Parasymplesite, and is most properly labeled as Kottigite-Parasymplesite.  The color ranges from pale blue, to grayish-blue.  In fact, the miners often refer to Kottigite as “blue Legrandite”, as it is sometimes found associated with Legrandite and of course this comparison to Legrandite has been an effort on the part of the miners over the years to get the highest prices for these specimens.  Kottigite-Parasymplesite is decidedly rarer, however, than Legrandite.  The Mexico II special issue of the “Mineralogical Record” magazine, Vol. 34, No. 5, P. 68-69 has a very good description of the occurrence of K-P, and two color photographs. 

MI-1600 – Terminated, and naturally non-terminated blue-gray K-P crystals to 5 mm in length, and radial sprays up to 8 mm across, were deposited over the surface of the matrix.  Additional open veinlets around the perimeter of the matrix are lined with compact intergrowths of K-P, as well as additional terminated micro crystals.  Very nice specimen!

MI-1601 – More than 100 terminated crystals of K-P are filling an open vug (1 1/4” long X 1/2” wide) on the front-top of the matrix.  Radial sprays of K-P are also present around the perimeter of the matrix.  Many terminated xls. of K-P are also lining two open vuggy areas on the back of the specimen.  A late deposition of a pale tan unknown mineral coats part of the K-P on the front of the specimen.  On the back of the specimen, the unknown mineral actually replaces some of the K-P.  Very nice specimen, very rich!

MI-1132 -- A collection of more than 15 translucent-opaque, pale blue acicular non-terminated crystal sections of K-P up to 15 mm in length, are in a gelatin capsule, suitable for reference or research collection.  No matrix.

MI-1600

MI-1601

ITEM NO. SPECIMEN SIZE (INCHES) SPECIMEN PRICE   MI-1600 2 3/8 1 7/8 1/2 SOLD   MI-1601 1 3/4 1 5/8 1 3/8 SOLD   MI-1132 .08 gram of loose, acicular K-P in a gelatin capsule $ 15.00  / lot

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