Rob Lavinsky's Image Gallery

Picromerite: K2Mg(SO4)2·6(H2O)

Comments: Blocky white picromerite crystals on reddish halite.
Location: Heringen, Werra Valley, North Hesse, Hesse, Germany. Scale: Specimen Size 5.5 x 4.7 x 3.4 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Potarite: PdHg

Comments: Potarite grains in a geletin capsule.
Location: Potaro River, Kangaruma District, Guyana. Scale: Sample Size 4.1 x 2.2 x 1.9 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Potassic-fluororichterite: (K,Na)(CaNa)Mg5[Si8O22]F2

Comments: Transparent, prismatic crystal of potassic-fluororichterite.
Location: Koksha Valley, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan. Scale: Specimen Size 2.7 x .6 x .2 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Potosiite: Pb6Sn2FeSb2S14  
Franckeite: (Pb,Sn)6Fe++Sn2Sb2S14

Comments: Visually indistinguishable metallic potosiite/franckeite crystals to 6 mm..
Location: San Jose mine, Oruro City, Oruro Department, Bolivia. Scale: Crystal size 6 mm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Smithsonite: ZnCO3  
Fraipontite: (Zn,Al)3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4  
Zinalsite: Zn2AlSi2O5(OH)4·2(H2O) (?)

Comments: Pearly white, sub-mm fraipontite (zinalsite) crystals associated with green smithsonite.
Location: Lavrion District Mines, Lavrion District, Attikí (Attica; Attika) Prefecture, Greece. Scale: Specimen Size 1.4 x 1.0 x 0.9 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Sternbergite: AgFe2S3

Comments: Silvery, blocky to prisimatic sternbergite crystals with minor red pyrargyrite.
Location: Jáchymov (St Joachimsthal), Ostrov, Krusné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge), Karlovy Vary Region, Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Czech Republic. Scale: Specimen Size 13 x 7 x 3.5 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Stillwellite-(Ce): (Ce,La,Ca)BSiO5

Comments: Brownish red euhedral crystal of stillwellite-(Ce) in matrix under halogen or sunlight lighting. Inset image shows the yellow color-change under fluorescent lighting.
Location: Darai -Piez Massif, Alay Range of Tien-Shan' Mountains, Garm Region, Tajikistan. Scale: Crystal Size 1.3 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Stokesite: CaSnSi3O9·2(H2O)

Comments: Thick, tabular crystals of stokesite, perched atop a 2 cm sphere of feldspar crystals.
Location: Corrego do Urucum, near Galilea, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Scale: 3.3 x 2.5 x 2 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Tantalite-(Fe): Fe++Ta2O6

Comments: Blocky, crystalline aggregate of ferrotantalite crystals weighing over one kilogram.
Location: Ecuador, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Scale: 10 x 6 x 5 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Tellurite: TeO2

Comments: Prismatic, reddish brown tellurite crystal clusters to 5-6mm in a vug,lined with drusy quartz.
Location: Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico. Scale: Picture Size 2 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Tornebohmite-(Ce): (Ce,La,Nd)2Al(SiO4)2(OH)

Comments: Vein of dark green tornebohmite-(Ce) with selveges of black allanite-(Ce) in a K-feldspar matrix.
Location: Jamestown District, Boulder Co., Colorado, USA. Scale: Specimen Size 6.5 x 3.8 x 2.5 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Toyohaite: Ag2FeSn3S8

Comments: Acicular needles of metallic toyohaite on matrix.
Location: Pirquitas (sector Oploca, level 7 1/4), Jujuy, Argentina. Scale: Specimen size 7.1 x 5.6 x 3.4 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Whewellite: Ca(C2O4)·(H2O)

Comments: White crystal of whewellite, perched on a spray of brown calcite crystals.
Location: Shaft 21, Schlema, Hartenstein, Germany. Scale: 7 x 6 x 4 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Wulfenite: PbMoO4  
Mimetite: Pb5(AsO4)3Cl

Comments: Gemmy, pale yellow mimetite crystal with brownish-orange wulfenite. Former James and Dawn Minette Collection.
Location: Gem Pocket 1971, Tsumeb, Namibia. Scale: 2 x 1 x 1 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Yttrocerite: CaF2 + (Y,Ce)F3

Comments: Blue/purpley Yttrocerite in matrix.
Location: Rockport Granite Company quarry, Rockport, Essex Co., Massachusetts, USA. Scale: Specimen Size 6.9 x 3.7 x 1.8 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Zinalsite: Zn2AlSi2O5(OH)4·2(H2O) (?)  
Fraipontite: (Zn,Al)3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4  
Smithsonite: ZnCO3

Comments: Pearly white, sub-mm fraipontite (zinalsite) crystals associated with green smithsonite.
Location: Lavrion District Mines, Lavrion District, Attikí (Attica; Attika) Prefecture, Greece. Scale: Specimen Size 1.4 x 1.0 x 0.9 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Zircon: ZrSiO4

Comments: Deep red-wine colored, lustrous, internally bright zircon crystals in matrix.
Location: Thorfjord, Seiland, Alta, Norway. Scale: 13 x 10.5 x 9 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Zvyagintsevite: Pd3Pb

Comments: Sharp cubic crystal of zvyagintsevite.
Location: Konder, Khabarovsk territories, Russian Far East, Russia. Scale: Crystal Size 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.2 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky