Mineral Specimen and Product Inventory Search

Availability

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Locality

Etta mine, Pennington Co., South Dakota, United States

Formula

Fe²⁺Nb₂O₆

Size

7.5 x 4 x 3 cm - Sm Cabinet

Tagged

pegmatite mineral, niobium

Heavy black specimen of mostly massive Columbite with a portion striated probably caused by growth against Albite(?).

Availability

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Featured

Featured in Special Editions

Locality

Jacupiranga mine, Cajati, São Paulo, Brazil

Formula

Ba₃MgZr₄Nb₁₂O₄₂·12H₂O

Size

0.5 x 0.4 x 0.4 cm - Thumbnail

Tagged

niobium

Special Info

Type & Only Locality

A single rhombic crystal to 0.2mm. Menezesite crystallizes in the isometric system and by viewing this specimen under a microscope you will see a fine, perfect crystal, with diamond shaped faces. It is associated with Clinohumite.

Bill and Ann Cook purchased this specimen from Luiz Menezesite probably 4 or 5 years prior to his death. Luiz was a fine mineraolgist and expert in Brazilian mineralogy. Luiz personally collected the material in the 1970's from in the dolomitic carbonatite of the Jacupiranga mine,  which would later be named in his honor. Zirkelite was discovered at this locality in 1895 and then Quintinite was discovered in 1997. The paper on Menezesite can be seen here; CLICK

Please see the signed label from Luiz in the prov. tab.