Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 5 mm field of view, top photo. Other FOV's as noted.
Field Collected: From a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1872
Notes: Rockbridge crystals embedded in messelite. There are many species on this specimen as indicated on last, annotated, photo (some small sprays of strunzite are also present).
I have had this specimen labeled as rockbridgeite for many years, mostly suggested (to me) by the black mass of crystals in the vug. Jim Nizamoff, on seeing my first photo of this piece in May, 2020, thought tourmaline was a better identification. Jim pointed out that the schorl illustrated in The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo is from Palermo #2, where it is more common. (Jim analized the Palermo #2 schorl.) Jim's opinion prompted a closer look and more photos that suggested a hexagonal shape of the embedded crystals.
To this point, I did not have a Palermo schorl specimen in my collection. It is likely moderately common in the pegmatite wall rock contact area, but few people, myself included, have bothered with this material. With the associated phosphate minerals on this specimen, it clearly came from the pegmatite interior.
So with continued uncertainty, I mailed off this specimen to Jim for a first-hand look. Jim replied:
"The black prismatic crystals are most definitely rockbridgeite. The white host is messelite. It is interesting that the photos made the messelite look like platy albite - having the ability to maneuver the specimen under the scope made it very easy to see that is was in fact messelite."
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm field of view
Field Collected: From a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1889
Notes: The iridescent blue coating on this chalcopyrite appears darker in real life. A small chip on the side reveals the yellow color underneath.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.4 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u1046
Notes: Distinct flat tabular crystals of rockbridgeite.
Locality: Pike Industries Quarry, Beech Hill, Carroll, NH.
Specimen Size: 1.0 mm crystal group on tremolite-actinolite
Field Collected: Woody Thompson
Catalog No.: u2366
Notes:
Locality: Pike Industries Quarry, Beech Hill, Carroll, NH..
Specimen Size: 1.0 mm field of view
Field Collected: Woody Thompson
Catalog No.: u2365
Notes: Splintery crystals appear to be zoned from light colored tremolite to green actinolite.
Locality: Pike Industries Quarry, Beech Hill, Carroll, NH.
Specimen Size: 5 mm field of view. Lattice of actinolite with a few milky chabazite crystals.
Field Collected: Woody Thompson
Catalog No.: u2365
Notes:
Locality: Pike Industries Quarry, Beech Hill, Carroll, NH.
Specimen Size: 1.0 mm ball of adularia crystals with green actinolite.
Field Collected: Woody Thompson
Catalog No.: u2365
Notes: Only ball I found like this on samples given to me by Woody. Unknown whether orthoclase or microcline, but I will include this photo in the orthoclase gallery.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Clear, fat-tabular, crystals. 1.4 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - Aug., 1994
Catalog No.: NC - secondary collection
Notes:
Locality: Pike-Hooksett Quarry, Hooksett, NH
Specimen Size: 4.5 cm milky quartz crystal group.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Oct 2019 MMNE field trip
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: Plates of milky quartz crystals provide little contrast for a photo. Collected from a gash seam in a large boulder.
Locality: Pike-Hooksett Quarry, Hooksett, NH
Specimen Size: 9.0 cm (3.5 inch) milky quartz crystal plate.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Oct 2019 MMNE field trip
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: Plates of milky quartz crystals provide little contrast for a photo. Collected from a gash seam in a large boulder. These are the largest plates of quartz crystals that I [tm] have seen from the Hooksett quarry.