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- Availability
- Sold
- Locality
- Cap Garonne mine, Le Pradet, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
- Formula
- NaPbCu5(AsO4)4Cl·5H2O
- Size
- Thumbnail 1.5x1x0.4cm
- Tagged
- arsenate , copper
- Special Info
- Type Locality
Good coverage of tiny blue plates in groups with good coverage across. Zdenekite is a rare lead-copper arsenate first discovered at this locality, Cap Garronne, a famous arsenate locality.
- Availability
- Sold
- Locality
- Cap Garonne mine, Le Pradet, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
- Formula
- NaPbCu5(AsO4)4Cl·5H2O
- Size
- Thumbnail 2.5x1.5x2.3cm
- Tagged
- arsenate , copper
- Special Info
- Type Locality
Platy groups of blue Zdenekite to about 0.2mm but with good coverage. Zdenekite is rare and occurs at 6 or 7 localities worldwide.
- Availability
- Sold
- Locality
- Washington Pass, Okanogan Co., Washington, United States
- Formula
- NaLiZrSi6O15
- Size
- Thumbnail 2.5x2.1x1.9cm
- Special Info
- Type Locality
There are seven prominent Zektzerite crystals on this specimen, the largest is 1.3cm across. All are faint pink and occur with white Microcline crystals. The largest crystal shows good pseudohexagonal orthorhombic forms with flat pinacoids and striated(?) prism faces. I note the so-called striations since they seem to be characteristic for the species from the specimens I have seen. The flat terminations have a lot of weird patterns. Under shortwave UV the Zektzerite lights up a vivid yellow. Some ref's mention that it glows blue (who knows out there?). This is an excellent specimen and was purchased by Chris van Laer from Randy Becker in 1987 for $350. Becker, who authored the 1991 article "Minerals of the Golden Horn Batholith" in Rocks and Minerals, collected this piece.
Zektzerite is found in the miarolitic cavities and pegmatites in alkaline portions of the Golden Horn batholith, near Washington Pass in the North Cascades mountains of Washington. As noted by the formula, the mineral contains lithium and zirconium both of which characteristically get filtered out of the solidifying magma as it cools since these elements are usually rejected by most ordinary igneous rocks. Since Zektzerite needs sodium, it is typically found in agpatic rock, which is peralkaline, meaning that it is aluminum poor and sodium rich.
Zektzerite was first found in 1966 by Bart Cannon and named after Jack Zektzer both of Seattle. Cannon was at the fore-front of Washington Pass collecting. Hats off to these guys.
All this information is taken from the Handbook of Mineralogy, Mindat, Webmineral and Randy Becker's article in Rocks and Minerals journal v.66 n.6 (1991) - an excellent read.
- Availability
- Sold
- Locality
- Washington Pass, Okanogan Co., Washington, United States
- Formula
- NaLiZrSi6O15
- Size
- Thumbnail 2x1.5x2cm
- Tagged
- pegmatite mineral
- Special Info
- Type Locality
This is an exquisite specimen from the late Chris Van Laer collection. The crystal is 14x11x5mm and is perched nicely on Albite matrix. It is truly top-notch with good peachy color and luster. The crystal itself is in good shape. Washington Pass is the type locality and exceeds all the rest in quality and size. Normally, Zektzerite is found in alkali pegmatites or at least in granites and syenites, but clearly of igneous origin with a lithium source. Chris Van Laer collected the specimen. It is nicely fluorescent to a yellowish white under SW.
- Availability
- Sold
- Locality
- Bambolla mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico
- Formula
- Mg0.5ZnFe3+(Te4+O3)3·4.5H2O
- Size
- Miniature 4.5x4x4cm
- Tagged
- tellurium
- Special Info
- Type Locality
Translucent brown acicular crystals to about 0.75mm. There are several crystals. This is the type locality for a six locality mineral.