GEMandM

Franklinite, Willemite, and Calcite - Classic fluorescent mineral combo of Franklinite crystals in willemite and calcite matrix - Under shortwave UV the calcite glows a bright red color and the willemite glows a bright neon green color. This specimen is from Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensburg, Franklin Mining District, Sussex County, New Jersey —

Rutile and Hematite - Excellent polished ‘window’ revealing well-formed stars of golden rutile and hematite - This specimen is from Novo Horizonte, Brazil —

Zinnwaldite Mica - Enormous Cluster of Siderophyllite-Polylithionite Series Mica with Accessory Minerals including Hematite after Siderite, Fluorite, Various Feldspars, and Unknown - Weight of 0.692 Pounds (or mass of 314 Grams)

Zinnwaldite is an old, discontinued name referring to a lithium-iron mica commonly found as euhedral, pseudohexagonal books in miarolitic cavities of Precambrian pegmatites. The International Mineral Association has discredited zinnwaldite as a separate mineral, instead placing it between siderophyllite and polylithionite mica as a series. It occurs alongside more desirable minerals such as smoky quartz, topaz, and amazonite. Zinnwaldite is characterized by thin brass-colored sheets that appear black-brown to even dark green viewed from the side. The mineral has varying colors ranging from brown to dark green, and its hardness ranges from 3 to 4 on the Mohs scale. While this mineral is classified as a monoclinic crystal system, individual crystals exhibit a pseudohexagonal shape.

This Specimen is from Lake George pegmatite, Crystal Creek area, Teller County, Colorado —