Set 5: Sillimanite - Zircon
Go to Palermo species: A - Falsterite Ferrisicklerite - Hydroxylherderite Jahnsite - Paravauxite Phosphoferrite - Sphalerite
Locality: Ledge below Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 9 cm specimen with cream-colored sillimanite crystals to 4.5 cm in biotite schist.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 1460
Notes:
Locality: Ledge below Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Zoom view of specimen 1460 showing splintery structure of sillimanite crystal section. Field of view 1 cm.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 1460
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.8 mm field of view.
Field Collected: ex. Forrest Fogg ?
Catalog No.: u2224
Notes: The EDS analysis of the malachite on another specimen area showed about a 5% zinc content, so zinc is present in the vacinity of these tiny crystals. These crystals are very lusterous, much more than other Palermo carbonates.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.2 mm sphalerite crystal in albite vug.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer, 2009
Catalog No.: u964
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm crystal group height
Field Collected: Walter Lane
Catalog No.: u1269
Notes: Palermo Mine stewartite images are quite rare on the web. Tiny black rockbridgeite balls are in the background.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.7 mm stewartite crystal
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg - 1973
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm stewartite crystal cluster
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg - 1973
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: The fine filaments are strunzite. Photo is from stack of 15 images processed with Helicon Focus.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 5 mm field of view. Stewartite crystal fans with laueite.
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg - 1973
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: Photo is from stack of 21 images processed with Helicon Focus.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Largest crystal 0.6 mm
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: From Pod 3 rough given by Gordon Jackson
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.8 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob.
Catalog No.: u2442
Notes: Habit and termination of these tiny yellow crystals suggests stewartite.
Photo from a stack of 53 images, Nikon Plan 10 objective lens, Ping-pong ball diffuser, one second exposure for each shot! First try with direct LED lighting was sparkle city !
Jim Nizamoff opined that stewartite is the best guess for these tiny crystals, "I have seen similar occurrences in material I have collected or acquired through Bob. There is a chance that these could be something more interesting but as usual the chemistry will possibly determine that."
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm field of view. Lavender clusters of Strengite crystals
Field Collected: Steve and Janet Cares
Catalog No.: u595
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.2 cm field of view. Rockbridgeite vug filled with pale lavender strengite crystals.
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. White, "jackstraw" Strunzite crystals.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer from crate of Palermo Mine rocks given by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u919
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 3 mm field of view, (zoom view 2 mm fov)
Field Collected: From a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1019
Notes: A stack of 27 images processed with Helicon Focus.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 3.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: From a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1607
Notes: A stack of 37 images processed with Helicon Focus.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.6 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob.
Catalog No.: u2472
Notes: A photo with diffused LED light to avoid bright flares. This golden stellate spray is less common than the typical jackstray occurrence of strunzite.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.45 mm field of view.
Field Collected: From a tub of Palermo rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u2390
Notes: ID suggested by Jim Nizamoff.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 6 mm field of view. Sea-green micro-crystaline Tavorite on Rockbridgeite.
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg #6287. Gift from Mike Swanson
Catalog No.: u856
Notes: Identified by Forrest Fogg, former co-owner of Palermo Mine
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.7 mm folded lump of chocolate brown Todorokite, center.
Field Collected: Gift from Mike Swanson
Catalog No.: u854
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm tabular torbernite crystal on rockbridgeite - two views
Field Collected: Walter Lane
Catalog No.: u1200
Notes: First view with Canon G9 and Meiji EMZ5TR trinocular port. Second view with Canon T3i, Nikon Plan 10 objective lens. (Rotated 180) The T3i photo is better, but rear of crystal still lacks focus. A second T3i attempt was no better.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 3 cm specimen of massive Triphylite
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 1402
Notes: Triphylite is the primary phosphate for most Palermo secondary phosphate species.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 10 mm field of view. Normal and SW UV illumination. Zoom view 2 mm.
Field Collected: Acquired by Gene Bearss - 1992
Catalog No.: A Gene Bearss specimen
Notes: Uralolite is not listed in Bob Whitmore's book, The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo. Moraesite, Be2(PO4)(OH) · 4H2O, is listed. Uralolite, Ca2Be4(PO4)3(OH)3 · 5H2O, and moraesite are visually indestinguishable, however, uralolite is fluorescent while moraesite is not. Hydroxylherderite, another beryllium mineral, is also present on this specimen. These acicular crystals have fluorescent tips with non-fluorescent lower portion. Perhaps a zoned moreasite-uralolite? (but I am uncertain if this is structurally possible).
UV photos with the microscope require very long exposures.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm zones of uraninite altering to pale tan schoepite? (not fluorescent). Over-all specimen is 4.5 cm
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 1438
Notes: Some fluorescence in the bright yellow mineral areas indicating the presence of autunite, but most of the bright yellow mineral crust is likely phosphuranylite or uranophane.
Confidence: 5
Chemistry: U6+(UO2)3(PO4)2(OH)6 · 4H2O.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.6 x 1.4 cm specimen.
Field Collected Don Dallaire - 1983
Catalog No.: A Don Dallaire specimen and photos. (Micro crystal photo - Tom Mortimer)
Notes: [dd] "Sight id had it as uranophane since it was yellow and radioactive. It appeared to be a crust when I found it but with a better microscope than what I had at the time I saw balls of radiating crystals. I was also suspicious however since it fluoresced a bright green (uranophane has weak fluorescence if any at all). I brought it up to Al Falster [Maine Mineral Museum lab] on my monthly trip and he analyzed it. The EDS scan showed uranium and phosphorous and nothing else (no Na, Ca, Zn, Ba, Pb, Al, Sr, Fe, Cu, K, Mn, Mg or Nd). There were only 5 minerals that fit this. Four were quickly eliminated by other physical characteristics. The crystal is pseudohexagonal in outline but actually is orthorhombic. He tested the refractive indices and all 3 were greater than 1.7 (didn't have liquids for higher).
All this info fits the mineral vanmeersscheite: U6+(UO2)3(PO4)2(OH)6 · 4H2O."
A follow-up email from Don stated that the vanmeersscheite also has a dim green fluorescence in mid-wave and long-wave UV.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm vivianite crystal group on messelite
Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff
Catalog No.: u2301
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 4 mm field of view
Field Collected: Walter Lane material
Catalog No.: u2363
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Pale blue Vivianite crystals, largest 1 mm
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: u524
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm crystal, 2 views
Field Collected: From small box of unsorted micros, gift of Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1341
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 6 mm flat prismatic vivianite crystal
Field Collected: From crate of Palermo rocks given by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1453
Notes: At 6 mm, this is quite large for a Plaermo vivianite crystal.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm radial spray of vivianite on 0.8 mm clear whitlockite crystal
Field Collected: Dana Jewell - collected underground
Catalog No.: A Gene Bearss specimen - "93TDJ"
Notes: I found capturing the dark blue vivianite with the lustrous clear whitlockite to be very difficult. This is a huge dynamic range challenge for a digital camera.
I have not seen the fan-like presentation of vivianite on a Palermo specimen previously.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.2 mm radial spray of vivianite
Field Collected: Dana Jewell - collected underground
Catalog No.: A Gene Bearss specimen - "93TDJ"
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 6 mm field of view
Field Collected: From a crate of phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: This specimen has been cleaned with iron-out and ultrasonic, but still has some residue coating. The matrix was quite frayable, so I quit will I still had some!
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: The largest xl is 1.5 mm long.
Field Collected: ex. Jim Warner
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen
Notes: [bw] This is a specimen we purchased with a "collection" of Palermo minerals from Jim Warner back in 2003. I think he had bought material from Whitmore and he broke it down and sold a bunch of it.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm tabular vivianite crystal
Field Collected: Steve Cares
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen
Notes: [bw] A fat 1.0 mm tabular xl against a nice white UK background (messelite?) amid green ludlamite background.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.5 mm crystal
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Cluster of wardite crystals. Largest crystal is 1.7 mm
Field Collected: From a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1880
Notes: Blue scorzalite at base of photo.
Stack of 22 images processed with Helicon Focus
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Pair of wardite crystals. 2.3 mm field of view
Field Collected: From a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1880
Notes: A note in the tub that contained this specimen said: "From loc of best whitlockite '67."
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 4.4 cm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: A Don Dallaire collection specimen
Notes: These are very large wardites for the Palermo Mine.
Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.2 mm cluster (Very small) of pale tan whiteite crystals on fairfieldite.
Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff
Catalog No.: u1034
Notes: EDS identification by Jim Nazamoff as part of his thesis on the Palermo #2 Pegmatite at the University of New Orleans.
Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Top photo 3.5 mm field of view. Lower photo - 2 mm field of view
Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: Jim Nizamoff stated that whiteite is usually found associated with fairfieldite, as is the case here. Note the flat, to slightly off-axis, terminations of these whiteite crystals, a noted characteristic of Palermo #2 whiteite. A follow-on email from Jim said: "specimen is a trim from a larger piece that was used for the painting by Fred Wilda in Bob's book. I thought that particular piece had the most aesthetic whiteite I had seen at Palermo No. 2. ... Wish I had a lot more like that, usually whiteite is really tiny."
Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.3 mm field of view.
Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm field of view
Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff
Catalog No.: u2127
Notes: Whiteite was one of the phosphates Jim analyzed for his UNO thesis on the Palermo #2 Mine.
Jim's 2006 thesis stated on page 105: "Whiteite-(MnFeMg), whiteite-(CaFeMg) and whiteite-(CaMnMg) form brown to light tan to nearly colorless radiating sprays and aggregates of prismatic monoclinic crystals to 1.5 mm in size. Whiteite crystallizes in non-oxidizing to slightly oxidizing conditions and is often associated with paravauxite-gordonite, scorzalite-lazulite, fairfieldite-messelite and gormanite-souzalite."
Zones of micro fairfieldite crystals are present on this specimen.
Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.9 mm field of view. Tiny tan crystal groups.
Field Collected: Walter Lane?
Catalog No.: u2295
Notes: Whiteite indicated by EDS analysis, (BC370, set27).
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH (Type Locality)
Specimen Size: 1 cm field of view, 1 mm iron-stained Whitlockite crystals
Field Collected: From crate of Palermo rocks given by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u861
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm clear whitlockite crystal with yellow laueite.
Field Collected: From crate of Palermo rocks given by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1008
Notes: The host matrix is rhombic siderite crystals.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Translucent rhombic whitlockite crystals to 1.5 mm.
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: u122
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.8 mm clear tabular whitlockite crystal on siderite with coated palermoite crystals in foreground.
Field Collected: From small box of unsorted micros, gift of Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u1344
Notes: The intimate association of palermoite with whitlockite in siderite vugs is common in pod 3 material as noted in The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo. Micro goedkenite crystals are also present on this specimen.
The gunky, resinous, couating is very difficult to remove.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Pair of 2 mm clear whitlockite crystals
Field Collected: Walter Lane 1995-96, Cat. #3123
Catalog No.: A Gene Bearss collection specimen
Notes: Stack of 22 images processed with Helicon Focus.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.8 mm whitlockite crystal on whitlockite
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Pair of 11 mm clear-milky whitlockite crystals in vug with siderite crystals. Second photo is of 0.7 mm whitlockite crystal on siderite spear.
Field Collected: Dana Jewell
Catalog No.: u2116
Notes: These are very large whitlockite crystals. Their position in the vug makes it difficult to show their crystal form. The smaller crystals in the vug are more photogenic.
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.: TBC
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.0 mm clear crystal, with line drawing second photo
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob.
Catalog No.: u2448
Notes: [tm] The crystal shape suggests wardite, but the crystal lacks the lateral striations that are usually present on wardite. Palermoite and type 3 goyazite were also found in proximity to this crystal.
Jim Nizamoff opined: This "is most likely whitlockite based on the appearance and siderite host. In my experience wardite mainly occurs in the hydrothermal quartz veins and is usually found with/near altered albite (probably source of the Na)."
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH (Type Locality)
Specimen Size: 0.6 mm "naval mine" habit whitemoreite
Field Collected: From crate of Palermo Mine rocks given by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.:
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: A 1 mm "naval mine"
Field Collected: Walter Lane
Catalog No.: u1270
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, Pod 3, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.7 mm whitmoreite "navel mine" on siderite
Field Collected: Forrest Fogg - 1973
Catalog No.: u1425
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm cluster of Whitmoreite crystals
Field Collected: Janet & Steve Cares, 1979
Catalog No.: u594
Notes: This is a new photo of my New Hampshire species display specimen. A small, blocky, jahnsite group crystal is present near the center.
This whitmoreite habit is "type 5" as illustrated on page 173 of Whitmore and Lawrence's book The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm field of view
Field Collected: Janet & Steve Cares, 1979
Catalog No.: u594
Notes: This whitmoreite cluster is also on my New Hampshire species display specimen.
This whitmoreite habit is likely "type 2" as illustrated on page 172 of Whitmore and Lawrence's book The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo. Note the chisel terminations.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.6 mm field of view. Whitmoreite on mitridatite coated siderite rhombs.
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob.
Catalog No.: u2439
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.4 mm across whitmoreite navel mine.
Field Collected: From a tub gifted by Bob Whitmore
Catalog No.: u2519
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.78 mm whitmoreite naval mine
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken collection specimen
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH (Type Locality)
Specimen Size: 2.7 cm specimen width. Wolfeite, dark red, in Triphylite.
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer
Catalog No.: 1420
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 cm specimen with massive, wine-red, wolfeite
Field Collected: From the Janet Cares collection - Collected 1976
Catalog No.: TBC
Notes: At Palermo, wolfeite is usually found embedded in, or associated with, triphylite, as is the case here.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 8 mm zone of massive, wine-red, wolfeite embedded in triphylite
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1970's
Catalog No.: 612
Notes:
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH (Type Locality)
Specimen Size: 6 mm fov, yellow-brown, waxy, amorphous, Xanthoxenite in center
Field Collected: Purchased from Excalibur Minerals, Peekskill, NY. They performed analysis.
Catalog No.: 1536
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 0.1 mm (TINY!) xanthoxenite crystals on rockbridgeite
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore 1974
Catalog No.: A Bob Whitmore specimen
Notes: This xanthoxenite crystal habit is the one illustrated in The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: Yellow crystals are about 0.15 mm across.
Field Collected: Bob Whitmore - from a tub of Palermo phosphate rocks gifted by Bob.
Catalog No.: u2433
Notes: Xanthoxenite is a tentative ID. These xanthoxenite crystals compare favorably those illustrated in The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo and with the Bob Whitmore specimen above.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2 mm fov. Cluster of acicular Zanazziite crystals. Childrenite crystals top left.
Field Collected: A purchased specimen
Catalog No.: u724
Notes:
Confidence: 4
Chemistry: Ca2(Mg,Fe)(Mg,Fe,Al)4Be4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 6H2O
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton,, NH
Specimen Size: Top photo - 1.5 mm field of view. Bottom photo - 3 mm field of view.
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen and photo
Analysis: Segelerite was Bob's initial choice from the EDS analysis, PAL134.
Chemistry from EDS analysis: Ca2Mg2.23(Fe1.90,Mn0.25)(PO4)6.52O50 , normalized for 2 Ca.
A reasonably good fit for segelerite, with some Mn substituting for Fe, a bit high on the P and ignoring the bit of Ti & Ba. Allocation of O between (OH) and dot H2O unknown.
Visually, this segelerite is a good match for several mindat.org photos of this species, particularly mindat segelerite photo .
However a 2019 study of Palermo zanazziite, a beryllium mineral, that included reviews by Jim Nizamoff, convinced Bob that zanazziite was the best ID choice. Note that Be is not detectable by EDS.
Locality: Palermo Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 2.8 cm specimen
Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 1997
Catalog No.: 217
Notes: This specimen has been in the NH Species Display as Fairfieldite for several years. It was visually identified by Bob Whitmore as fairfieldite. I understood that this was the spherical form of Fairfieldite referred to in Bob Whitmore's book, The Pegmatite Mines Known as Palermo. A first polished grain EDS analysis (BC77) indicated a Ca, Mg, Fe, phosphate with a Ca:Fe:Mg:P ratio of 2:1:1.4:5. No Mn was detected, essential for fairfieldite. Fairfieldite chemistry is: Ca2(Mn2+,Fe2+)(PO4)2 · 2H2O
One species possibility is segelerite: CaMgFe(PO4)2(OH) · 4H2O , but the cation ratios are off.
A second polished grain EDS analysis (BC77a) of one of these white balls gave a result for which suggested collinsite. Collinsite chemistry is: Ca2(Mg,Fe2++)(PO4)2 · 2H2O
The analysis suggests a chemistry (normalized for 2 P): Ca0.86(Mg0.41,Fe0.57)(PO4)2 ... but the Ca is low and the result is deficient by about 8 oxygen for collinsite. Jim Nizamoff opined (6/17) that this specimen "has too much Fe to be a viable candidate" for collinsite.
These radial balls show color zoning so perhaps the chemistry varies along the radius.
A detailed 2019 investigation of this specimen, including additional EDS testing and Raman analysis, concluded this is zanazziite. A pdf of an article on this study was published in the April, 2019 MMNE newsletter, and is available here: Zanazziite Identification (pdf)
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm field of view
Field Collected: Jim Nizamoff
Catalog No.: u2095
Notes:
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 4.5 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: 1729
Notes: Moraesite and pale green beryl are also present on this TN specimen.
Locality: Palermo #1 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 4 mm field of view
Field Collected: Bob Janules
Catalog No.: 1729
Notes: Moraesite and pale green beryl are also present on this TN specimen.
Locality: Palermo Mine, Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1.2 mm field of view, top photo
Field Collected: Bob Wilken
Catalog No.: A Bob Wilken specimen
Notes: A visual ID by Jim Nizamoff
Locality: Palermo #2 Mine, N. Groton, NH
Specimen Size: 1 mm red-brown zircon crystal.
Field Collected: Found embedded in gormanite rock sample given by Jim Nizamoff
Catalog No.: u1304
Notes: This zircon does not fluoresce.