A couple of weeks ago I received my order for 5 new additions to my collection, all from Dakota Matrix…
The first is a specimen of Baddeleyite, occurring as tiny black lustrous crystals to 2 mm on a chunk of quartzy matrix; it originates from the Jacupiranga Mine in São Paulo, Brazil. In the three years I’ve been systematically collecting minerals, I’ve never before seen this species for sale at any of my on-line haunts, so naturally I snapped it up. This brings my Zirconium suite down to one remaining species left to obtain. The specimen also has many greenish grey crystals of Forsterite.
Zr4.01 Baddeleyite
Photo by Dakota Matrix
Zr4.01 Baddeleyite
Photo by Dakota Matrix
Another addition to my Sodium suite is Villiaumite , which completes the Halide section of the suite. As blocky cherry-red crystals protruding from the matrix, this is a somewhat standard specimen from the mineral rich area of Mont-Saint Hilaire, Québec, Canada.
Na3A.01 Villiaumite
Photo by Dakota Matrix
Na3A.01 Villiaumite
Photo by Dakota Matrix
The next two specimens are members of the copper sulphide family, Rickardite and Koutekite. The Rickardite is one of three applicable copper telluride species and this example hails from the Hilltop Mine in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, USA. This specimen has a really nice metallic blue foil-like quality, very similar in appearance to some examples of Covellite; also present are small gold tinged cubic crystals of Altaite.
Cu2E3/3.01 Rickardite
Photo by Dakota Matrix
Cu2E3/3.01 Rickardite
Photo by Dakota Matrix
Cu2E3/3.01 Rickardite
Photo by Dakota Matrix
The Koutekite comes from the Mohawk Mine in the famous copper mining county of Keeweenaw in Michigan, USA. There are four applicable copper arsenide species for my collection, and it appears they are often found together in various amounts, perhaps unavoidably, as this specimen also contains Paxite. The original advertised description read “silvery grey metallic mineral with Paxite;” I can’t visually distinguish between the Paxite and the Koutekite…
Cu2B4/4.01 Koutekite
Photo by Dakota Matrix
Cu2B4/4.01 Koutekite
Photo by Dakota Matrix
The last specimen is Bismutite, which I purchased (impulsively) as a sort-of inexpensive after thought. Apparently this species is somewhat rare, although this is a rather crude example of the only applicable bismuth carbonate…
Bi5.01 Bismutite
Photo by Dakota Matrix
Bi5.01 Bismutite
Photo by Dakota Matrix
This chunk of a specimen is from the Outlaw mine in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. With this addition I now start off the somewhat extensive Bismuth suite…
