Set 2: Ferrisicklerite - Hydroxylherderite
Go to Palermo species: A - Falsterite ; Jahnsite - Paravauxite Phosphoferrite - Sphalerite Sillimanite - Zircon
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 cm specimen with 1.2 cm brown Ferrisicklerite zone above un-altered Triphylite
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 1587
Notes: Ferrisicklerite is a common brown weathering alteration of triphylite at the Palermo Mine.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u515
Notes: Another area on specimen u515.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u515
Notes: Another area on specimen u515.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm field of view. Sprays of bladed Ferroberaunite crystals.
Field Collected: Walter Lane material
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen
Notes: Beraunite group indicated by EDS analysis . This ferroberaunite is more bladed than the more frequently seen acicular variety. The gray, spherical, matrix is rockbridgeite. Beraunite is more usually found as needle-like than bladed.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 6 mm field of view, (3 mm zoom view)
Field Collected: ex. Bill Henderson
Catalog No.: A Joe Mulvey specimen, ex. Bill Henderson
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 6 mm field of view. Vug filled with acicular Ferroberaunite.
Field Collected: From material collected by Walter Lane, acquired from MMNE give-away.
Catalog No.: u1547
Notes: Matrix appears to be limonite.
Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff
Catalog No.: u2121
Notes: Collected by and gift from Jim Nizamoff. Cataloged as a fairfieldite - on other area of specimen. There are only a few Palermo #2 mineral photos on mindat.org.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 2004
Catalog No.: u515
Notes: Another area of my New Hampshire display specimen.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 4 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 2004
Catalog No.: u515
Notes: Another area of my New Hampshire display specimen.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 3.5 mm field of view & 1.8 mm field of view.
Field Collected: Dana Jewell
Catalog No.: u2094
Notes: Photo with fluorescent light. Light green matrix is matridatite.
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Ferroberaunite spheres decorating type 3 spiky goyazite. 3.4 mm field of view.
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm field of view. Ferroberaunite pinwheels on strunzite.
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.8 cm ferrocolumbite crystal with minor matrix
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.8 mm field of view
Field Collected: ex. Bob Whitmore #1767
Catalog No.: u1441
Notes: As of April 2020, this is the best photo known to me [tm] of a Palermo foggite.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.0 mm field of view
Field Collected: ex. Bob Whitmore #1767
Catalog No.: u1441
Notes: Foggite crystals coated with some oxide (or as fellow collector Bob Wilken calls it: "schmutz") which gives added contrast.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: ex. Bob Whitmore #1767
Catalog No.: u1441
Notes: Little contrast in the jumble of foggite crystals.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH (Type Locality)
Specimen Size: 3 mm sphere
Field Collected: A purchased specimen
Catalog No.: u441
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm cluster of platy foggite crystals, two views
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm Foggite ball
Field Collected: Walter Lane 1995-96, Cat. #2394
Catalog No.: A Gene Bearss collection specimen
Notes: The square terminations of the individual foggite crystals are clearly evident here. This is a classic foggite crystal spheroid. Apatite also forms spheroids at the Palermo Mine and may be confused with foggite, but the apatite balls lack the square plate terminations.
Stack of 20 images processed with Helicon Focus.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm foggite ball
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore ?
Catalog No.: A Don Dallaire specimen
Notes: Flat terminations are visible on the ball perimeter.
This specimen was part of a 39 specimen Palermo boxed set Don acquired from Bob Whitmore.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm field of view, top. 1.2 mm field of view below.
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore ?
Catalog No.: A Don Dallaire specimen
Notes: Broken foggite ball cross-section showing radial structure.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm foggite ball on quartz crystals
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore ?
Catalog No.: A Don Dallaire specimen
Notes: Flat terminations are visible on the ball perimeter.
This specimen was part of a 39 specimen boxed set Don acquired from Bob Whitmore.
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.1 mm Foggite ball top two photos.
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: Bob Wilken gave me a small box of micros, perhaps acquired via Gordon Jackson, labeled "Foggite Palermo #1 N. Groton, F. Fogg 1972-76". The box has about a dozen inch-sized chunks with small quartz crystal vugs and cream colored balls. With one exception these balls are quite smooth. (On one ball I could see squareish foggite plates.) Some vugs had clusters of childrenite. and most chunks had blue zones of scorzalite.I considered apatite for the smooth balls, so checked with EDS. EDS analyses , BC47 result indicated a Ca, Al phosphate (consistent with foggite), but the Ca content was about 3X what foggite would have. I did two probings (weight % oxide) and both gave nearly same result. I do see some tiny squareish plates at highest magnification on ball surface, last two photos. The APFU calculates a Ca:Al:P ratio of about 3:1:1. It should be 1:1:1 for foggite.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod #3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 8 mm field of view top photo. 2 mm field of view, second photo.
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg. Passed along to tm by Gordon Jackson.
Catalog No.: u2205
Notes: Green, tufty, radial balls, of frondelite on hummocks of mitridatite. Frondelite confirmed by polished grain EDS analyses (BC22 - set 19). Chemistry from analysis: Mn1.17Fe4P3.96O22 , normalized for 4 Fe.
Frondelite chemistry is : Mn2+Fe43+(PO4)3(OH)5 .
Frondelite is listed for the Palermo #1 Mine in Whitmore & Lawrence's book The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo, but no illustration is included.
In some areas of the specimen, the frondelite appears as scaly masses, third photo.
The forth view shows the overall 3.5 cm specimen. Zones of frondelite are present on both sides of the specimen.
Fifth photo is attempt to capture some small individual crystal groups.
Whitmore & Lawrence's book lists frondelite for pods #4 and #7, but not for Pod #3.
The label that came with the specimen simply said: "Dark green on mitridatite."
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.8 cm specimen, galena cleavages in quartz.
Field Collected: ex. John Anderson
Catalog No.: u1390
Notes: Galena is rare at the Palermo Mine.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 4.5 cm specimen with interior mass of galena
Field Collected: From a crate of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: 2004
Notes: Some micro cerussite crystals appear to be present on the margins of this galena mass.
Galena is listed for the Palermo Mine in Whitmore & Lawrence's book, The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm field of view. Gatumbaite on bed of vivianite crystals.
Field Collected: G. Bjareby
Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen
Notes: Specimen label reads: "Found by G. Bjareby in 1948." Gatumbaite is not listed in Whitmore & Lawrence's The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 7 mm field of view. Radial sprays of gatumbaite on bed of vivianite crystals.
Field Collected: G. Bjareby
Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen
Notes: Another view of the Bjareby gatumbaite specimen. The inner area of the leftmost spray (particularly) appears zoned dark-blue suggesting perhaps a different mineral? The mineral base for the specimen is un-altered triphylite. The triphyllite surface is covered with very small vivianite crystals. The gatumbaite is on top of these micro-vivianites.
From American Mineralogist, vol. 69 pg. 382: "Sinkankasite has been found at the Palermo Mine, in North Groton, New Hampshire, on only one specimen. It occurs as flattened, circular, 2-3 mm sprays of white acicular crystals associated with vivianite in a fracture in massive triphylite. This material was previously described as gatumbaite by Segeler et al. (1981)."
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.7 cm specimen. Gatumbiate on vivianite on triphylite
Field Collected: G. Bjareby
Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen
Notes: Full specimen view of the Bjareby gatumbaite specimen.
Chemistry wise, gatumbaite is close to other calcium-aluminum phosphates also found at Palermo, foggite and crandalite:
Gatumbaite: CaAl2(PO4)2(OH)2 · H2O
Foggite: CaAl(PO4)(OH)2 · H2O
Crandallite: CaAl3(PO4)2(OH,H2O)6
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH (Type Locality)
Specimen Size: 2 mm field of view. Tomahawk Goedkenite "ears" on Palermoite.
Field Collected: Steve Cares (1974)
Catalog No.: u592
Notes: Goedkenite is frequently found with Palermoite. Both are strontium minerals.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.2 mm Goedkenite crystal on Palermoite prism. Iron staining present
Field Collected: Found in unsorted box of Palermo phosphate rocks given by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.:
Notes: This is the habit of the goedkenite crystal illustrated in the American Mineralogist Vol. 60, pg 960, (1975)
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.2 mm goedkenite crystals on palermoite
Field Collected: From small box of unsorted micros, gift of Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1340
Notes: Made three attempts to get a good photo of this. Looks much better under the scope.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm field of view - feathery goedkenite sprays on palermoite
Field Collected: From small box of unsorted micros, gift of Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1346
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 3 mm field of view. A comb of goedkenite crystals at right angle to horizontal palermoite crystal.
Field Collected: From buckets of Palermo Mine Walter Lane material acquired by the Micromounters of New England mineral club.
Catalog No.: u1196
Notes: Specimen was catalogged for promanent Childrenite crystals, (not in this view).
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm field of view. Nut brown balls of goethite?
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg, gift from Gordon Jackson
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: Interesting dark green bladed spray in center. Also single blade, middle right. Gormanite?
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.7 mm cluster brown, furry, balls on cream-colored siderite
Field Collected: From a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u2400
Notes: EDS confirmation needed.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob.
Catalog No.: u2460
Notes: Visual ID. A goethite "worm."
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.1 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob.
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: Visual ID. The interior of these nodules is very granular, as seen in the top broken section.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm clear Gordonite crystal group
Field Collected: Found in unsorted box of Palermo phosphate rocks given by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u883
Notes: A visual identification. Bob Whitmore examined this specimen and stated Gordonite was the most likely species. Gordonite and Paravauxite are both found at Palermo #1 Mine and are very similar in crystal habit. Bob's book, The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo, states Gordonite crystals are "colorless, pale pink, pale green to green" while "paravauxite is white and opaque." The crystals in the photograph are water clear.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm clear gordonite crystals
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore ?
Catalog No.: A Don Dallaire specimen
Notes: This specimen was part of a 39 specimen boxed set Don acquired from Bob Whitmore.
Identification as given on box label. A 22 image stack processed with Helicon Focus.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm clear gordonite crystals
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore ?
Catalog No.: A Don Dallaire specimen
Notes: This specimen was part of a 39 specimen boxed set Don acquired from Bob Whitmore.
Identification as given on box label. A 8 image stack processed with Helicon Focus.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm crystal
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen & photo. (PALGordonite01AS)
Notes: A Bob Wilken visual ID. [bw] "the gordonite looks pretty square-topped ... it has to do with limited viewing angle. There is a hump of rock that prevents straight-on clear viewing of the crystal."
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.3 mm field of view. Gormanite crystals on scorzalite base. 1.4 mm zoom view.
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob.
Catalog No.: u2420
Notes: Gormanite (Fe dominant) forms a series with souzalite (Mg dominant). The color zoning in these crystals suggests both members of this series may be present. These are very nice gormanite crystals for the Palermo Mine. In New Hampshire, the Charles Davis Mine, also in N. Groton, and the Chickering Mine in Walpole have also produced some very nice gormanite micro specimens.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm field of view.
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob.
Catalog No.: u2417
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 5.0 mm field of view.
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob.
Catalog No.: u2415
Notes: Green and blue mix of gormanite blades. Milky-cream colored mineral is quartz.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 3.2 mm field of view.
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob.
Catalog No.: u2416
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 4.5 mm field of view.
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob.
Catalog No.: u2418
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 4 mm field of view, massive, embedded gormanite-souzalite
Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff
Catalog No.: A Jim Nizamoff specimen
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 cm field of view, massive, embedded gormanite-souzalite
Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff
Catalog No.: A Jim Nizamoff specimen
Notes: Palermo gormanite-souzalite specimens frequently have zones where either species may dominate.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm frosty cube with apatite in foreground
Field Collected: Steve Cares
Catalog No.: u585
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 5 mm field of view.
Field Collected: Walter Lane. A Bob Janules specimen.
Catalog No.:
Notes: This is goyazite habit type 4.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 3 mm field of view. Goyazite with bipyramidal quartz.
Field Collected: Walter Lane. A Bob Janules specimen.
Catalog No.:
Notes: This is goyazite habit type 4.
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 5 mm goyazite crystal on 2.5 cm quartz crystal
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen and photo
Notes: This is a very large goyazite crystal !
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.7 mm zoned goyazite crystal, (i.e. goyazite crystal with phantom)
Field Collected: From crate of Palermo rocks given by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: 1238
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm rosette of crystals.
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg material
Catalog No.: u1455
Notes: Goyazite indicated by EDS analysis , (unpolished grain). The P peak is a bit low here.
I had thought this might be foggite, but moderate Sr peak in EDS plot indicates goyazite.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Type 2 goyazite. 1.7 mm field of view
Field Collected: From a box of small rock chunks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1584
Notes: An interesting characteristic of some of these type 2 pseudocubes is the brilliant white reflection observed when the incident light is at a critical angle. This is illustrated in these two views, the same cluster at two different incident light angles.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: From a small box of small rock chunks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1533
Notes: Palermoite and goedkinite are present on the backside of this specimen.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm field of view
Field Collected: From a small box of small rock chunks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1533
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 7 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: A Bob Janules specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: pair of 2 mm clear goyazite crystals with apatite and quartz crystals
Field Collected: John McCrory (Sept. 1998)
Catalog No.: u1310
Notes: This specimen, when purchased, was labeled "Whitlockite." Later examination raised some identity doubts. An EDS analysis showed these to be goyazite crystals, (note prominent strontium peak).
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Largest crystal: 3.6 mm
Field Collected: Clayton Ford
Catalog No.: A Don Dallaire specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm cluster
Field Collected: Walter Lane material from MMNE give-away
Catalog No.: u1346
Notes: A re-do of a January 2015 photo. I had this identified as goedkenite for many years, in part due to intimate association with palermoite and that the larger part of these frilly crystals had an underlying habit of goedkenite. After sending photos of this # u1346 to Jim Nizamoff, he opined: "I agree with goyazite, it is very common in association with palermoite and goedkenite. I have not seen goedkenite form quite like that so goyazite makes the most sense to me."
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.0 mm field of view. Second view is annotated.
Field Collected: Walter Lane material from MMNE give-away
Catalog No.: u1346
Notes: Another group on specimen # u1346, this one without yellow staining.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Largest ball is 0.48 mm
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg. A Bob Wilken specimen & photo
Catalog No.: PALGoyazite01AS
Notes: Visual ID by Bob. [tm] These balls are very uniform and smooth for goyazite type 3. EDS would rule out other possibilities such as sinkankasite and crandallite.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.3 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob.
Catalog No.: u2455
Notes: Jim Nizamoff opined that a goyazite identification seemed reasonable.
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Bright white spray on palermoite, 0.20 mm spray.
Field Collected: From a small box of small rock chunks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1521
Notes: Goyazite and palermoite are frequent associates. This is a re-do of a 2015 photo set.
My present label on this is goyazite, in part due to its association with palermoite. These flat feathery crystals are unlike any goyazite that I have seen. No mindat goyazite photos show this habit.... so possibly something else. A tiny, one-of-a-kind, specimen, so testing very unlikely.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 cm specimen. Graftonite pink, some iron stained
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: 1656
Notes: Small Graftonite samples are difficult to photograph and show lamaner structure.
Fresh, unweathered, Graftonite is glassy salmon pink.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3 N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Largest crystal is 0.3 mm
Field Collected: A purchased specimen
Catalog No.: u650
Notes: This is my NH species display specimen. Original photo taken in 2010 is improved here. Although the crystal in the photo looks quite apatite like, the stippled termination, flattened hexagonal shape and pale green color are an excellent match for the Greifensteinite rendering in Bob Whitmore's book, The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo".
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm field of view. Brown pseudohexagonal greifensteinite crystals.
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore 1975
Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Brown pseudohexagonal greifensteinite crystals to 0.3 mm with cream-colored, platy, goyazite crystals on quartz crystals (background).
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore 1975
Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm field of view. Stubby, hexagonal, prisms of griefensteinite.
Field Collected: From a box of small rock chunks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1524
Notes: Based on mindat photos, these distinct griefensteinite crystals are as good as any, world-wide. Pseudocubic goyazite is also present on this specimen.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 3 mm field of view. Dense cluster of hexagonal prisms of griefensteinite.
Field Collected: From a box of small rock chunks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1529
Notes: As shown in Whitmore's book The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo (pg. 131) the haxagonal face on this griefensteinite habit somewhat rough and reflective.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.3 mm pale green greifensteinite balls
Field Collected: Terry Crowell
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.2 mm pale green greifensteinite cluster
Field Collected: Walter Lane material
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm pale green greifensteinite cluster
Field Collected: Walter Lane material
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm greifensteinite crystal cluster
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: Note hexagonal crystal prism habit.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.2 mm greifensteinite crystal cluster
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: Note hexagonal crystal habit.
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.2 mm field of view
Field Collected: J. Demer ? -per label on specimen box of this ex. Art Smith specimen. Purchased at the Baltimore Mineral Symposium, 2022.
Catalog No.: u2608
Notes: A 1 cm specimen in a 3/4" black. old-style, micro box.
View is a cluster of pale green, stubby-prismatic, crystals. The crystal prism terminations have a stippled texture that is typical of Palermo griefensteinite.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen
Notes: "Rams Horn" gypsum, likely partially altered (dried out) to anhydrite, CaSO4 .
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.8 mm field of view
Field Collected:Dana Jewell ?
Catalog No.: u2665
Notes: Matrix is rockbridgeite. My original thought was that this is palermoite, from the luster and striated prism face. A Raman analyses (black trace in plot) by George Adleman indicated gypsum, which after a follow-up visual review, agrees. This is the first clear Palermo gypsum that I have seen.
Jim Nizamoff opined on another similar matrix specimen (not a gypsum one) that it was more likely a Fletcher piece.
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.46 mm crystal group
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: [bw] The matrix is pretty much solid pyrite. And, the crystallization is pretty coarse and crusty-looking.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 5 mm greenish-black Hagendorfite crystal with Ludlamite, (green), in background
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer from crate of rocks given by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u865
Notes: Identification by crystal color, shape, and Ludlamite association. These match text and illustration in Bob Whitmore's book, The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo. Bob examined this specimen and stated that Hagendorfite was the most likely species
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.6 mm dark-green hagendorfite crystal in pale-green ludlamite
Field Collected: ex. Bill Henderson
Catalog No.: A Joe Mulvey specimen, ex. Bill Henderson
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm green-black stubby-prismatic hagendorfite crystal in ludlamite
Field Collected: Walter Lane, gift from Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u1249
Notes: An EDS analysis suggested "ferroalluaudite". Hagendorfite is a member of the alluaudite group of minerals. Hagendorfite is listed for the Palermo Mine, so that is the species assigned to this crystal. (The Na response in the plot is greatly attenuated by the EDS instrument.)
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm hagendorfite crystal in ludlamite vug
Field Collected: Clayton Ford. Acquired by Gordon Jackson 2003. Gifted to Tom Mortimer 9/16
Catalog No.: u2000
Notes: Most hagendorfite crystals are found embedded in ludlamite. This one was free-formed in a ludlamite vug.
Photo from a 47 image stack processed with Helicon Focus.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Top photo: 6 mm crystal with partial mitriditite coating. Bottom photo: 4 mm crystal. Matrix is messelite-fairfieldite.
Field Collected: Clayton Ford. Gift from Gordon jackson
Catalog No.: u2024
Notes: Two polished grain analyses (BC137) were done. The first EDS analysis showed ample sodium and small amounts of several metalic elements (Ca, Fe, K, Mn). The second probed point EDS analysis lacked these low concentrations and showed no sodium, so some zone growth is likely present. Previously seen Palermo hagendorfite crystals have been embedded in ludlamite, (e.g. # u2000), so these are different in that respect.
Point 1 chemistry (normalized for 3 P): Na2.55Mg0.64Al0.47Ca0.24K0.27Mn0.2Fe0.37P3O32
Point 2 chemistry (normalized for 3 P): Mg0.78Al0.48Fe0.13P3O30.9
Hagendorfite chemistry is: NaCaMn2+Fe2+2(PO4)3
The most sodium rich member of the alluaudite group is Ferroalluaudite- (Na Na): Na4Na4Fe2+4Fe3+8(PO4)12
There is a lot of element variation within the allauadite series !
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 3.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Don Dallaire
Catalog No.: Don Dallaire specimen #3995
Notes: I found only two complete crystals on the specimen. The first was in a cluster of others. Not much contrast, as I had to brightly illuminate to get much definition, so appears a bit washed out.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.9 hagendorfite crystal
Field Collected: Don Dallaire
Catalog No.: Don Dallaire specimen #3995
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 10 mm hinsdalite prisms with small cerussite crystals attached.
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen
Notes: Identification by Bob Whitmore. This specimen was the reference for Fred Wilda's hinsdalite illustration in The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 5.5 cm specimen
Field Collected: Specimen acquired in exchange at Gilsum Rock Swap, 1976
Catalog No.: 084
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 5.5 cm specimen - reverse side
Field Collected: Specimen acquired in exchange at Gilsum Rock Swap, 1976
Catalog No.: 084
Notes: Reverse side shows alteration progression of brown ferrisicklerite to purple heterosite.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm clear, blocky, crystal
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg. ex. Walter Lane, ex. Gene Bearss
Catalog No.: u1211
Notes: Hopeite (Mn rich) indicated by EDS analysis. The original specimen identification was made by Forrest Fogg, who collected and mounted the specimen. The late Forrest Fogg (foggite) was, at one time, co-owner of the Palermo Mine with Bob Whitmore.
Hopeite is rare at Palermo. A mineralogist friend knowledgeable in Palermo phosphates has examined this specimen and the EDS plot. In noting the high Mn content, he suggested the possibility that this may be a new mineral. A new (fall 2011) zinc phosphate mineral species with Palermo as the type locality is due to be announced shortly.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Full specimen view of u1211. Specimen width about 8 mm.
Field Collected: Walter Lane, gift from Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u1211
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.1 mm milky-clear, blocky, crystal, two views
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg. ex Gene Bearss
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: I removed this small crystal from the bottom of the NH display hopeite specimen. I think the crystal was originally fully embedded in quartz, so some of the faces are from matrix contact, but other faces are quite lustrous, some with striations. That is a bit of sphalerite on the right, top photo.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u490
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 8 mm vug filled with hureaulite micro-crystals. Largest crystal in zoom view
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Largest hureaulite crystal is about 0.7 mm
Field Collected:
Catalog No.: A Joe Mulvey specimen. ex. Bill Henderson
Notes: Rhombic coated tablets in foreground might be leucophosphite
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.6 mm cluster of hureaulite crystals
Field Collected: From a small box of small rock chunks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1526
Notes: Photo is from a "stack" of 8 images processed with Helicon Focus.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.0 mm hureaulite cluster
Field Collected: Bob Wilken - 2004
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen & ID
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: The longer of the two xls left is 6.0 mm long.
Field Collected: Bob Wilken - 2004
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen & ID
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 4 mm crystal (parallel group)
Field Collected: Bob Wilken - 2004
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen & ID
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg 10/02. F. Fog specimen #6236. From the Mike Swanson collection - appears to be a purchased specimen by Mike
Catalog No.: u2291
Notes: Mass of blocky hureaulite crystals is difficult to photo. Actual color is more pinkish. The tiny cream-colored globules are embedded in the hureaulite. Boxed specimen photo included.
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 3.2 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen & ID.
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.49 mm crystal
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen & ID
Notes: [bw] Photo taken w. a Nikon Plan 10X; a stack of 94 with 5 um increments.
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm field of view
Field Collected: From a crate of Palermo rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1526
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen, photo, & ID.
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 5.1 mm crystal group
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo.
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm crystal group
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Notes: A Bob Wilken identification. [tm] These do not appear much different from Bob's phosphophyllites at least in the photos.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Approximate 1 mm field of view. Blocky, yellow-brown, hydroxylherderite crystals on beryllonite.
Field Collected: Walter Lane
Catalog No.: u1263
Notes: The hydroxylherderite identification is a visual one. Beryllonite, etched beryl, brazilianite, vivianite, and sphalerite are also on this specimen, u1263. Per Bob Whitmore's Palermo book, hydroxylherderite (a beryllium mineral) is sometimes associated with beryllonite, as on this specimen.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.7 mm honey-colored hydroxylherderite crystal with cord-wood edge view beryllonite in upper left.
Field Collected: Walter Lane
Catalog No.: u1263
Notes: Canon G9, F4.8, 1/80, Helicon Focus stack 13 images. A visual identification suggested by Jim Nizamoff.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.1 mm hydroxylherderite crystal
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg
Catalog No.: u1760
Notes: The crystal termination is a group of small pyramids.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 6 mm field of view
Field Collected: Walter Lane material
Catalog No.: u1605
Notes: My visual ID for these balls was crandallite. A polished grain EDS analysis suggested just a simple calcium phosphate such as apatite. A fluorine response (@ 677 eV, above the 525 eV oxygen peak) is totally absent in the EDS spectrum indicating these balls cannot be fluorapatite. These balls are an excellent comparative match for a similar occurrence of hydroxylherderite at the Dunton Mine in Newery, ME. The EDS detector cannot detect beryllium. The detector response to apatite-(CaOH) and hydroxylherderite are very similar. Several knowledgeable collectors who have looked at this specimen agree that the spheres are most likely hydroxylherderite. Tabular apatite crystals are also present in this view.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.8 cm specimen with 7 mm hydroxylherderite crystals on albite
Field Collected: Don Dallaire - 10/5/50
Catalog No.: A Don Dallaire collection specimen (#697) and photo
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.5 cm specimen with 8.5 mm hydroxylherderite crystal. Two views.
Field Collected: ex. Bob Whitmore.
Catalog No.: A Don Dallaire collection specimen (#1000) and photo
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 5.8 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1994
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: I have a moderate secondary collection of specimens labeled, saved in box-work drawers, but not cataloged. As often happens, when looking for one thing, I found something else interesting. These drawers have many specimens collected decades ago. I came across a Palermo TN labeled "apatite" collected in 1994. Lots of hexagonal tablets, so understand why I ID'ed as apatite. But these are hydroxyl-herderites, and quite nice ! There are many on this piece. So will go into my cataloged collection.
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 6.0 mm field of view
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1994
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: A quartz crystal point is on the right.