Kaolinite gallery

KAOLINITE Gallery Return to Kaolinite page. Click on image for larger view

KAOLINITE Parker Mtn. Mine, Center Strafford, NH 1.3 cm view. Thin white crust of kaolinite on feldspar	Species: KAOLINITE Locality: Parker Mtn. Mine, Center Strafford, NH Specimen Size: 1.3 cm view. Thin white crust of kaolinite on feldspar Field Collected: Tom Mortimer, May, 2010 Catalog No.: Notes: Reprint of 1964 article, "The Parker Mountain Mine," by Philip C. Foster in Nov. 1982 issue of Granite Chips, newsletter of the Southeastern New Hampshire Mineral Club, states: "Kaolinite, while never officially recorded at this mine, is found as fine dusting coatings or as thin films on altering microcline, especially on the originally exposed surfaces of this mineral." The sub mm coating on this specimen is very loosly attached. A light brushing will easly detach it. Dirt particles remain on the kaolinite surface because of this risk.
KAOLINITE Parker Mtn. Mine, Center Strafford, NH 8 cm specimen of feldspar matrix with thin, chalk-white, crust of kaolinite on upper half of specimen.	Species: KAOLINITE Locality: Parker Mtn. Mine, Center Strafford, NH Specimen Size: 8 cm specimen of feldspar matrix with thin, chalk-white, crust of kaolinite on upper half of specimen. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 1761 Notes: This thin crust flakes off very easily.
KAOLINITE Mason, NH 18 cm specimen of massive kaolinite. Harvard Museum label	Species: KAOLINITE Locality: Mason, NH Specimen Size: 18 cm specimen of massive kaolinite. Field Collected: Unknown Catalog No.: Harvard University Museum #130849 Notes:
KAOLINITE ? with Zircon Red Hill, near Horne Quarry, Moultonborough, NH 4.8 cm zoned crystal	Species: KAOLINITE ? with Zircon Locality: Red Hill, near Horne Quarry, Moultonborough, NH Specimen Size: 3 mm field of view Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: NC Notes: Kaolinite ? pale-orange, with zircon (glassy tan), hastingsite (black), titanite (small yellow - upper left-center), and feldspar (white). I have been searching for several species reported from the Red Hill nepheline-syenite for several years: wholerite, rosenbushite, and cancrinite. I am not aware of any Red Hill examples of these species for comparison. I have analysis done when I spot things outside my previous observations. This pale orange material analyzed to be a simple aluminum silicate, ( EDS analysis plot). It is quite soft, hardness 4 or less. Kaolinite (and polymorphs) and allophane fit this chemistry and hardness. Given the abundance of feldspar present, kaolinite would be more likely. However, for allophane, the Al:Si ratio is 2:1 where-as for kaolinite the ratio is 2:2, so the EDS plot would seem to favor allophane. For the present I will file this in the kaolinite gallery.
KAOLINITE Pike Quarry, Hooksett, NH 9 cm specimen	Species: KAOLINITE Locality: Pike Quarry, Hooksett, NH Specimen Size: 9 cm specimen Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 2014 Catalog No.: 1902 Notes: Feldspar altered to soft, white, kaolinite, (easily scratched with fingernail). Only a species collector would bother with this!
KAOLINITE Pike Wilton Quarry, Wilton, NH 6 cm specimen of chalk-white kaolinite with minor gray quartz	Species: KAOLINITE Locality: Pike Wilton Quarry, Wilton, NH Specimen Size: 6 cm specimen of chalk-white kaolinite with minor gray quartz Field Collected: Tom Mortimer - 2014 (Authorized visit) Catalog No.: 1913 Notes: