ncat WD115 Filon No. 7, Arhbar Mine, Bou Azzer, Morocco

This specimen comprises very dark purple crystals of erythrite, but the tips of the crystals flare out a little and show up as a lighter shade of pink. Width of view 3.5mm. Stack of 20 images. Ex Brian Shelton Collection. Click on the image below for a higher resolution version.

5754 Biraite-(Ce), Hydroxylbastnasite-(Ce), Strontianite, Aragonite, Calcite, Cordylite-(Ce), Cordylite-(La), Niobochevkinite-(Ce), Ferriallanite-(Ce), Talc, Thorite, Daqingshanite-(Ce), Daqingshanite-(La), Ancylite-(Ce), Ancylite-(La), Kukharenkoite-(Ce), Carbocernaite, Cordilitovaya carbonatite vein, Ust’-Biraya deposit, Vitim Plateau, Eastern Siberia, Russia

Extremely rich 8x7x2mm specimen containing abundant inclusions (red arrowed) of brown biraite-(Ce) – an extremely rare silico-carbonate of REE. Biraite contains microscopic inclusions of hydroxylbastnasite-(Ce) and intergrows with its more yellow macro grains well recognisable under magnification (yellow arrowed). Light matrix of the sample represented by pale-greenish, apatite-like strontianite-aragonite with...