Detailed information
Species
Gorceixite
Dimensions
21 x 24 x 18
mm
Weight
6 g
Locality
Clara Mine, Rankach Valley Oberwolfach, Black Forest Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Condition
No recorded repairs
The Clara mine in Rankach Valley, Oberwolfach, Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, Germany is a mineral collectors dream locality. It has produced more mineral species (471) than some countries and 16 of those were first described from the mine - as the Type Locality. This large thumbnail specimen presents a very rich coverage of turquoise blue Gorceixite microcrystals coating Quartz. Gorceixite - barium aluminium phosphate hydroxide - can occur in a range of different colours, the blue usually being attributed to traces of copper. The specimen has not been analysed, but an arsenate analogue - Arsenogorceixite - was first described from Clara mine and looks identical. A solid-solution series occurs between the two species so there is a possibility that this specimen also contains Arsenogorceixite. Ex Martin and Michael Günther collection.