American Mineralogist's Image Gallery

Neustadtelite: Bi2Fe+++(Fe+++,Co)(O,OH)2(OH)2(AsO4)2

Comments: Scanning electron microscope micrograph of neustadtelite. (AmMin 87:728).
Location: Mine dumps of the Güldener Falk mine near Schneeberg-Neustädtel, Saxony, Germany. Scale: Scale Bar 15 µm.
© American Mineralogist

Nickelphosphide: (Ni,Fe)3P  
Melliniite: (Ni,Fe)4P

Comments: Reflected light image of creamy-yellowish melliniite (1) and nickelphosphide (3). AmMin, v91, p453.
Location: Northwest Africa 1054 acapulcoite. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Norrishite: K(Mn+++2Li)Si4O10(O)2

Comments: Thin section photomicrograph showing norrishite (Nrs) associated with kornite (Krn), sugilite (Sgl), and Mn-rich pectolite (Pct) (AmMin 88:190).
Location: Silicate-rich sample from the Wessels mine, Kalahari manganese field, South Africa. Scale: Picture Size 2.4 mm.
© American Mineralogist

Norsethite: BaMg(CO3)2

Comments: B&W RL image of interlocking norsethite (light-grey, stained) and calcite (dark-grey, etched). Etched with sodium rhodizonate solution. (AmMin, v52:1770).
Location: Discoveredz inc-lead-coppedr eposita t Rosh Pinah, situated about 100 miles south-east of Aus in South West Africa. Scale: Magnification 85 X.
© American Mineralogist

Okayamalite: Ca2B2SiO7

Comments: Intergrowth between crystalline okayamalite (a) and amorphous silica (b). Okayamalite here forms regular lamellae elongated along [001], typically 400 Å thick. The grainy area (c) corresponds to the graphite film..
Location: Skarn sample from the Arendal district, Sorlandet, Norway. (AmMin, v85:1508). Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Ominelite: (Fe++,Mg)Al3BSiO9

Comments: Photomicrograph of thin-section (plain light) of zoned ominelite (omn) with quartz (qtz) and plagioclase (pl) in alkali feldspar. (AmMin 87:163).
Location: Misen River in Tenkawa, Yoshino, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Scale: Grain size 0.6 mm.
© American Mineralogist

Orickite: CuFeS2·(H2O)

Comments: Black and white image of a polished section showing intergrown crystals of orickite in sodalite (dark). (AmMin 68:246).
Location: Mafic alkalic diatreme at Coyote Peak near Orick, Humboldt County, California, USA. Scale: Image size 0.44 mm.
© American Mineralogist

Paulkellerite: Bi2Fe+++(PO4)O2(OH)2

Comments: SEM photomicrograph of euhedral crystals of paulkellerite (AmMin, v73:870).
Location: Neuhilfe mine, Schneeberg, East Germany. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Paulmooreite: Pb2As+++2O5

Comments: Scanning electron photomicrograph of paulmooreite. AmMin v64:352.
Location: Langban,Varmland, Sweden. Scale: 150X Magnification.
© American Mineralogist

Penroseite: (Ni,Co,Cu)Se2  
Kitkaite: NiTeSe  
Sederholmite: NiSe

Comments: B&W polished section image showing kitkaite replacing calcite in penroseite, clausthalite and sederholmite. Note the absence of the clausthalite envelope around kitkaite..
Location: Valley of the Kitka river in Kuusamo, northeast Finland. (AmMin, v50:581). Scale: 100 X.
© American Mineralogist

Phosphovanadylite: (Ba,Ca,K,Na)x[(V,Al)4P2(O,OH)16]·12(H2O) x~0.66

Comments: Scanning electron microscope micrographs showing the cubic habit of phosphovanadylite. (AmMin 83:890).
Location: Phosphoria Formation at Monsanto’s Enoch Valley Mine, Soda Springs, Idaho. Scale: Crystal size 40 µm.
© American Mineralogist

Piergorite-(Ce): Ca8Ce2(Al0.5 Fe+++0.5)([ ],Li,Be)2Si6B8O36(OH,F)2

Comments: B&W image of a group of platy-elongated crystals of piergorite-(Ce) on matrix.
Location: Tre Croci locality, Vetralla, Viterbo province, Italy. Scale: Crystal Length 400 µm.
© American Mineralogist

Polhemusite: (Zn,Hg)S

Comments: B&W polished section (PPL) image (green filter) of aggregates of polhemusite (P) in stibnite (S) with associated cinnabar (C) and quartz (Q). (AmMin, v63:1153).
Location: Mercury-bearing antimony ore from the B and B deposit, Big Creek district, Valley County, Idaho. Scale: Scale Bar 0.5 mm.
© American Mineralogist

Poppiite: Ca2(V+++,Fe+++,Mg)(V+++,Al)2(Si,Al)3(O,OH)14

Comments: SEM micrograph of a poppiite crystal fragment (AmMin v91. p585).
Location: Gambatesa mine, near the village of Reppia (Val Graveglia, Northern Apennines, Italy). Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Protoanthophyllite: (Mg,Fe)7Si8O22(OH)2

Comments: Drill core showing white acicular crystalline aggregates of protoanthophyllite in matrix with a close up image on the right..
Location: Drill-core sample from the waste dump of the abandoned Takase chromite mine, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Scale: Core size 3 cm.
© American Mineralogist

Pseudojohannite: Cu6.5[(UO2)4O4(SO4)2]2(OH)5·25H2O

Comments: SEM microphotograph of prismatic, tabular, pseudojohannite crystals from Musonoï (sample MGL 54110). (AmMin, v91, p930).
Location: Musonoï quarry near Kolwezi (Shaba, Congo). Scale: Picture Size 50 µm.
© American Mineralogist

Pumpellyite-(Mn++): Ca2(Mn++,Mg)(Al,Mn+++,Fe)2(SiO4)(Si2O7(OH)2·(H2O)

Comments: BSE image of pumpellyite-(Mn++) (P) intercleaved with phlogopite (black) between braunite (white) and calcite (C).
Location: Mn oxide ores from the Precambrian Sausar Group, India. (AmMin, v76:241). Scale: Scale Bar 0.01 cm.
© American Mineralogist

Qusongite: WC

Comments: BSE image of qusongite (1, 2) and Cr2O3 (3, 4). The high hardness of qusongite shows up in the polished section as relief between the two minerals (AmMin, v94:389.
Location: Heavy mineral concentrate from chromite ores from the Luobusa ophiolite, Qusong County, Tibet, China. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Radtkeite: Hg3S2ClI  
Corderoite: Hg3S2Cl2

Comments: SEM image of prismatic radtkeite crystals and equant corderoite crystals on quartz matrix. AmMin, v76:1715).
Location: McDermitt mercury mine, Humboldt County, Nevada, USA. Scale: Scale Bar 10 µm.
© American Mineralogist

Ramanite-(Cs): Cs[B5O6(OH)4]·2H2O  
Ramanite-(Rb): Rb[B5O6(OH)4]·2H2O  
Santite: KB5O6(OH)4·2(H2O)

Comments: Unheated Type-B melt inclusions in graphic quartz. 1 = ramanite-(Cs), 2 = sassolite, 3 = ramanite-(Rb), 4 = santite, 5 = topaz, V = vapor. (AmMin, v93:1035).
Location: Graphic pegmatite quartz from the Island of Elba, Italy. Scale: Scale Bar 15µm.
© American Mineralogist