Coromoto Minerals, LLC presented
a
case at the 2005 Tucson Gem and
Mineral show devoted to material recovered from their work at Mt. Mica,
Paris, Oxford County, Maine. With the exception of two fluorapatite
pieces, all of the material was recovered in 2004. In addition to the
specimens, two plots of data collected by microprobe analysis showed
that pocket 28 yielded 4 species of tourmlaine. The work done at the
University of New Orleans by Dr. Skip Simmons and Al Falster
indentified elbaite, rossmanite, foitite and schorl. (view the plots)
Mineral dealers Graeber and Himes, exclusive agents for the newly mined
Mt. Mica material, presented several cases at Tucson. ( view their cases)
The Specimens:
One the principal pieces was a 17 cm tall elbaite recovered in June of
2004 from pocket 10 (MMP10-04). The crystal sits on a base of
cleavelandite (albite) with lepidolite. The crystal possesses at least
5 distinct color zones. Another important piece is the 22
cm
tall top section of a 54 cm crystal recovered in December of 2004
from pocket MMP28-04.
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17cm
elbaite from pocket 10 of 2004
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22 cm
elbaite from pocket 28 of 2004
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MMP28-04 also produced a large elbaite dubbed the 'Cake' or the
'Forest'. The crystal is more than 20 cm wide. Another crystal from the
same pocket the ' Pepsi Can' was also displayed.
Large elbaite from pocket MMP28-04
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The 'Pepsi Can'
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Gemmy blue to red color zoned crystals from pockets MMP26-0 and
MMP27-04 were in the case. Other blue crystals from MMP22-04 were
displayed.
Blue/red crystals from pocket 25 and 26 or 2004
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Blue elbaite from pocket MMP22-04
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Some gem elbaite and cut stones
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Morganite beryl from pocket MMP9-04
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