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Named for the co-type localities of the mineral at the Margaritas No. 1 and Margaritas No. 2 mines in Chihuahua, Mexico. The Margaritas mines are the only locality for Margaritasite and it occurs there as filling pores and casts of phenocrysts in felsic volcanic tuffs that have been altered by hot hydrothermal fluids. Margaritasite is strongly radioactive.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/margaritasite.pdf

Phyllosilicate - Monoclinic - Mica group member. Brittle - Dioctahedral. Al occupying the (M) octahedral positions with sub's of Lithium, Ca (or possibly Na) at the Interlayer spots, and hydroxyl at the (A) positions. Be and Al can replace Si at the (T) positions. For more information on Mica minerals and other phyllosilicates please reference our article - Click Here.

Rarely as good pseudohex. crystals, usually scaly or platy aggregates. Grayish pink to pink, but also yellowish. Occurs mainly with diaspore in contact metamorphic deposits (Bernard & Hrysl), also in chlorite schists (Mindat). Associated with corundum, diaspore, tourmaline, staurolite, glauphane, chlorite, and magnetite...in high aluminun deposits (Handbook of Min.).

Named after Dr. Luka Maric, a former professor of Mineralogy and Petrology at the University of Zagrep in Croatia. Maricite is a rare mineral that occurs in phosphatic nodules in siderite-rich ironstones. It can be found in localities in Canada, Antarctica, Germany, Greenland, and India. Associated minerals include ludlamite, vivianite, quartz, pyrite, wolfeite, apatite, wicksite, nahpoite, and satterlyite.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/maricite.pdf

Named for its type locality in the Moon Anchor mine in Maricopa County in Arizona, USA. Maricopaite occurs only at its type locality and is found in hydrothermal lead-copper ore veins as coating and filling fractures within quartz. Associated minerals include cerussite, mimetite, fornaceite, phoenicochroite, duftite, chrysocolla, wickenburgite, calcite, fluorite, and quartz.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/maricopaite.pdf

Named after Charles W. Marsh who was the first to note the mineral at Broken Hill in Australia from which Marshite gets its type locality. Marshite is a rare mineral that occurs only in Australia, Chile, and Finland and some newer localities in Russia and Germany. At Broken Hill it occurs in the oxidized zone of the metamorphosed lead-zinc-silver deposit, in Chile in an oxidized copper prophry deposit, and in Finland on a copper anomaly and introduced by brackish seawater. Under short-wave ultraviolet light Marshite will fluoresce a deep red.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/marshite.pdf

Named in honor of Aime Marthoz, a former Director of the Union Miniere de Haut-Katanga in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Marthozite is a rare mineral that is found as an “alteration product of selenian digenite in the oxidation zone of a uranium-bearing Co-Cu deposit at its type locality from the Musonoi Co-Cu mine in the Democratic republic of the Congo. Other localities for Marthozite include in Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/marthozite.pdf