FMF Minerals Gallery

"Mixonite" (Adamite), Mina Ojuela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico. Backside of specimen figured in photos 1 & 2. Note the "bowtie" adamite crystal (7mm longest dimension) just below midcenter. The entire specimen is composed of hundreds of similar crystals. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

"Mixonite" (Adamite), Mi

"Mixonite", (adamite), Mina Ojuela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico. Specimen is 4.5 cm by 8 cm., on gossanous matrix (aren’t they all?). Again, note the "bowties" of adamite, which is highly fluorescent. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

"Mixonite", (adamite), M

"Mixonite", Mina Ojuela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico. Backside of specimen in previous photograph. This was acquired in 1978, as can be seen from the affixed label. I see that I acquired the piece on my birthday that year. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

"Mixonite", Mina Ojuela,

"Mixonite", Mina Ojuela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico. The specimen is 6.5 cm by 7 cm. Also, the specimen is strongly fluorescent under both wavelengths of UV. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

"Mixonite", Mina Ojuela,

"Mixonite", Mina Ojuela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico. 6.5 cm by 7 cm. These delightful adamites only came out for a few years. They were not as popular as the bright yellow adamites, but nontheloess.... (Author: Ed Huskinson)

"Mixonite", Mina Ojuela,

100_0561.JPG (Author: Ed Huskinson)

100_0561.JPG

7cm X 4 cm, collected in the fall of 1978. . The label is self-explanatory. What makes this crystal so unique is the trigon on the main face of the crystal. the trigon is 20mm X 15 mm, as demonstrated in the following photograph. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

7cm X 4 cm, collected in the fall

A clearer shot of the same specimen, finger for scale. The specimens from this pocket were characterized by tiny distorted (almost spinel-twinned) late stage clear crystals that grew on and near the tips of the octahedrons. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

A clearer shot of the same specime

A final view of the cubic "backside’ of the specimen. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

A final view of the cubic "ba

Another view, better showing the octahedral habit of the District Fluorite. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Another view, better showing the o

Calcite Crystal Cavern, Terlingua Mercury District , Brewster Co., Texas, USA 9.5 cm X 10 cm. Calcite, rhombohedral and zoned, same location. 9.5 cm X 10 cm. This is an example of the calcite that coats the walls, ceiling, and floor of the Crystal Cavern. The Terlingua Mercury District is characterized by breccia pipes, collapse breccias that formed just a big jumble of limestone boulders. Caves are not uncommon in the mines of the district. Lots of open cavities means good collecting. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Calcite Crystal Cavern, Terlingua

Calcite Palo Duro Canyon area, Armstrong Co., Texas, USA 5 cm. X 7 cm. Concretion, 5 cm X 7 cm. Calcite in fine sandstone / redbed matrix. Palo Duro Canyon, near Canyon, Texas. These used to be quite common in the canyon, but many of them have been picked up by visitors, picnickers, and the like (which, i suppose, includes me too). (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Calcite Palo Duro Canyon area, Arm

Calcite Perry Pit, west side, California hill, Mariposa Mine, California Hill, Terlingua Mercury District, Brewster County, Texas, USA 3.5 cm long. Calcite, scalenohedral and zoned. Perry Pit, west side, California hill, Mariposa Mine, Terlingua Mercury district, Brewster County, Texas. 3.5 cm long. Crystals like this one are common in the district, often display planes along which dustings of cinnabar have grown. This one shows a thin coating of clay along an earlier crystal face. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Calcite Perry Pit, west side, Cali

Celestite Palo Duro Canyon area, Armstrong Co., Texas, USA 4.3 X 4.0 cm. Celestite. 4.3 X 4.0 cm. Palo Duro Canyon, near Canyon, Texas. There are thin beds of gypsum and rare thin beds of celestite in the Permian redbeds of Palo Duro Canyon. Note how the redbed matrix has slightly stained the margins of the specimen. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Celestite Palo Duro Canyon area, A

Cerussite ("Sixling" twin) Stephenson Bennett Mine, Organ Mountains, Dona Ana County, New Mexico. Crystals ("V-twins") to over 6" are reported from this mine. This little sixling is 3mm wide. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Cerussite ("Sixling" twi

Close up of the main trigon which occupies the main face of the crystal. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Close up of the main trigon which

Fluorite Paisano Mine, Christmas Mts, Brewster Co., Texas, USA 5 cm. wide x 3 cm. across Same specimen, Sawed and polished base. 3 cm across. Again, note the unusual "Bird’s Eye" textures. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Fluorite Paisano Mine, Christmas M

Fluorite Paisano Mine, Christmas Mts, Brewster Co., Texas, USA 5 cm. wide x 3 cm. across Fluorite, Paisano Mine, Christmas Mountains, Brewster County, Texas. 5 cm wide. This is a replacement deposit wherein fluorite has replaced Cretaceous limestone along bedding planes above a shallow rhyolitic laccolith. The deposit is typified by these unusual "Bird’s Eye" oolitic replacement textures. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Fluorite Paisano Mine, Christmas M

Fluorite (octahedral) on milky quartz. Cross Mountain Mine, Chise Fluorspar District, Sierra County, New Mexico. 6.5 X 5.2 cm. Self-collected, from my thesis area. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Fluorite (octahedral) on milky qua

Fluorite (octahedral). Lookout #1 Mine, Cook’s Peak, Luna county, New Mexico. The octahedron is 4.5 cm across. From Dick Jones, 1980. The subtle colours displayed by these specimens is difficult to capture. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Fluorite (octahedral). Lookout #1

Fluorite, Chise, New Mexico. A little better shot of these specimens from my thesis area. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Fluorite, Chise, New Mexico. A li

Fluorite, east side, Cross Mountain, Chise, Sierra County, New Mexico. Crystal on the left is 2.5 cm across, that on the right is 2.0 cm. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Fluorite, east side, Cross Mountai

Fluorite, Lookout #1 Mine, Cook’s Peak, Luna County, New Mexico. 5.8 X 3 cm. Gift of Dick Jones, 1980. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Fluorite, Lookout #1 Mine, Cook&rs

Fluorite, Mex Tex Mine, Socorro County, New Mexico. 6.5 X 3.5 cm. From Tony Potucek, 1971. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Fluorite, Mex Tex Mine, Socorro Co

Fluorite. 5.5 X 2.5 cm. "Blue Room, Blanchard Mine, Bingham, Socorro County, New Mexico. A collector could go up the hill and descend to this big room (the Blue Room), the walls of which were coated with these beautiful little blue fluorite crystals. Unfortunately, the fluorite from there is very light-sensitive, and will assume a dull, colourless aspect after only a few day (or less) in direct sunlight.. This specimen has never seen the light of day. Gift of Will Wilkinson, when he was a student at New Mexico Tech in 1970 or 1971. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Fluorite. 5.5 X 2.5 cm. "Bl

Fluorite. Cook’s Peak, Luna County, New Mexico. 5.5 X 3.0 cm. Acquired from Dick Jones in 1980. These things were abundant in the 80’s, not so much today. This is a special specimen because it indicates there was a change in the temperature of the ore-forming solutions. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Fluorite. Cook’s Peak, Luna

Galena, Neudorf, Harz Mountains, Germany. "Isolated" photo of specimen, acquired from Evan Jones. Bob Jones can give a brief history of the piece, inasmuch as it originated with him 25 or 30 years ago. Damage notwithstanding, I’ve coveted the specimen from the day I saw it on display at their home in Phoenix. The specimen is 55mm tall, 50mm wide, and the crystal is 26mm across. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Galena, Neudorf, Harz Mountains, G

Gold wires etched from pink calcite. 3.2 X 2.0 cm. San Pedro Mine, New Placers Mining District, Santa Fe County, New Mexico. Purchased from Ira Young, Tucson, 1995 At first glance, the pink calcite looks just like rose quartz. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Gold wires etched from pink calcit

Gypsum Mariposa Mine, California Hill, Terlingua Mercury District, Brewster County, Texas, USA 5.8 cm tall. Same location. Specimen is 5.8 cm tall. This is a 780 degree spiral, very tight and even. Collecting it was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Gypsum Mariposa Mine, California H

Gypsum Mariposa Mine, California Hill, Terlingua Mercury District, Brewster County, Texas, USA 5.2 cm tall. Same location. 5.2 cm tall. The Crystal Cavern is lined with low-angle rhombohedral calcite crystals. They crunch underfoot when you walk around in there. These gypsum crystals grow on the ceiling of the cavern and in various areas of the cave. Their growth may be influenced by air currents.... (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Gypsum Mariposa Mine, California H

Gypsum Mariposa Mine, California Hill, Terlingua Mercury District, Brewster County, Texas, USA The curl is 1.7 cm across while the crystal itself is 2.5 cm long. Same location. This is a small specimen. The curl is 1.7 cm across while the crystal itself is 2.5 cm long. This was collected with Dana Dixon in 1974. It had grown under a flat piece of limestone breccia, and was collected using a long screwdriver. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Gypsum Mariposa Mine, California H

Gypsum Mariposa Mine, California Hill, Terlingua Mercury District, Brewster County, Texas, USA 6.2 cm X 5 cm. Same specimen, a little better photo. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Gypsum Mariposa Mine, California H

Gypsum Mariposa Mine, California Hill, Terlingua Mercury District, Brewster County, Texas, USA 6.2 cm X 5 cm. Same locality. I have displayed this double ram’s horn at shows and in competition for years. Specimen is 6.2 cm X 5 cm. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Gypsum Mariposa Mine, California H

Gypsum Mariposa Mine, California Hill, Terlingua Mercury District, Brewster County, Texas, USA 3.5 X 4.5 cm. Gypsum "Ram’s Horn". 3.5 X 4.5 cm. From a cavern (The "Crystal Cavern") between the 300 and 400 levels, Mariposa Mine, California Hill, Terlingua Mercury District, Brewster County, Texas. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Gypsum Mariposa Mine, California H

Here are photos of the front as well as the underside of the Fluorite (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Here are photos of the front as we

Here the specimen has been rolled forward to expose the obverse (ie, backside) of the specimen. Note that the darker purple octahedrons have overgrown light blue cubic fluorite, occupying what would be the 111 face for the cubes. The olde-tyme thinking was that light-colored cubic crystals indicated a lower temperature of formation while the dark octahedral crystals formed at higher temperatures. So there would have to have been an increase in the temperature of the ore-forming fluid to produce what we have here. Fluid inclusion study is called for. But someone else is going to have to provide the rock for study. Mine stays intact.... (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Here the specimen has been rolled

Here they are, my first minerals, kept in a tobacco tin. I put it into a pipe tobacco tin. Here’s a photo of the outside of the tin, just for grins. Locality info? Who knows? Except for the specular hematite (Mesabi range) and the selenite (Jet, Oklahoma), everything else is simply quien sabe? Keep in mind that I was 12 yrs old at the time, and lacking any sort of mineralogical mentoring. Later, when at Norman, Oklahome, I hung aroung the geology department there, and Bill Hiss took me under his wing, set me on the right path, so to speak. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Here they are, my
I put it into a p

Here’s a photo showing the damage up close and personal. I like to think that a famous German mineralogist scratched the face and then blow-piped it (yes, look at the lower left quadrant of the spinel-twinned crystal. I DON’T CARE. Yes, it’s unfortunate that it has been damaged, but hey, now I can make up a story to go with the damage. And I have a way to show how a blowpipe affects galena. Bottom line, I like it, I bought it for my own enjoyment, and I do not consider it to be an "investment". (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Here’s a photo showing the d

Here’s the front of the tobacco tin. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Here’s the front of the toba

Here’s the label that is affixed to the backside of the specimen. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Here’s the label that is aff

LesFargePyro4.jpg (Author: Ed Huskinson)

LesFargePyro4.jpg

Limonite after Pyrite Long Draw Graben, west of the Terlingua townsite, Terlingua Mercury District , Brewster Co., Texas, USA 2.3 cm across. Limonite (it has a yellowish streak) after pyrite. The octahedron is 2.3 cm across. Long Draw Graben, west of the Terlingua townsite, Brewster County, Texas (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Limonite after Pyrite Long Draw Gr

Linarite, also from the "Blue Room", Blanchard Mine. 4.5 X 3.5 cm. There was a small crawl space off to one side of the Blue Room from which one could extract craystalline masses of linarte such as this. Linarite is found throughout the mine, often (but not always) associated with galena. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Linarite, also from the "Blue

Montroydite Perry Pit, west side, California hill, Mariposa Mine, California Hill, Terlingua Mercury District, Brewster County, Texas, USA 1.8 cm long. This tiny crystal is 1.8 cm long. Montroydite is perfectly sectile normal to the c-axis. It is so flexible that the crystals can be bent, and even tied into knots. There are old texts that illustrate this. Had to throw in a rarity. I have a suite of the oxychlorides of mercury, but they are very difficult to photograph, and to be truthful, kind of boring unless you are a species collector. Miguel Romero got my best Gianellaite, the finest in the world. Wonder where that specimen wound up?. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Montroydite Perry Pit, west side,

One of the shelves in the Waddell Case, north wall. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

One of the shelves in the Waddell

Phytosaur (ancestral crocodilian) Palo Duro Canyon area, Armstrong Co., Texas, USA Total length of the vertebra is 6.5 cm. Wonder of wonders!! When I got home after finding the second bone, I discovered that the two pieces fit together perfectly. Two years and over 50 meters apart. Total length of the vertebra is 6.5 cm. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Phytosaur (ancestral crocodilian)

Phytosaur (ancestral crocodilian) Palo Duro Canyon area, Armstrong Co., Texas, USA 3.5 cm. X 6.5 cm. Another partial Phytosaur vertebra. 3.5 cm X 6.5 cm This was found in the same area (about 50 meters or so away) while on a geology field trip two years later (in 1967). (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Phytosaur (ancestral crocodilian)

Phytosaur (ancestral crocodilian) Palo Duro Canyon area, Armstrong Co., Texas, USA 3 cm. X 5.5 cm. Here’s a shot of the inside of the bone. You can see the cell structures. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Phytosaur (ancestral crocodilian)

Phytosaur (ancestral crocodilian) Palo Duro Canyon area, Armstrong Co., Texas, USA 3 cm. X 5.5 cm. Phytosaur (ancestral crocodilian) partial vertebra. 3 cm X 5.5 cm. Palo Duro Canyon, near Canyon, Texas. I found this fossil on my senior high school class field trip / picnic in April of 1965 (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Phytosaur (ancestral crocodilian)

Quartz, fluorite and galena. 7.5 X 6.5 cm. sunshine Drift, Blanchard Mine, Bingham, New Mexico. The galena has been replaced by a mixture of anglesite and cerussite. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Quartz, fluorite and galena. 7.5 X

Quartz, variety smoky (and twinned in the Japanese style) Lincoln County, New Mexico. Acquired from Dick Jones, 1980. The crystal is 3.2 cm tall, and is 2.5 cm at it’s widest point. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Quartz, variety smoky (and twinned

Same specimen, close up. The fluorite is actually a pale lilac colour. The greenish tinge to the modified crystals is due to underlying copper oxides. Tony collected this specimen in 1969 or 1970. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Same specimen, close up. The fluo

Same specimen, from the side. Note that the galena cube has undergone expansion when it altered to anglesite and cerussite. I like these expanded galena cubes, in part because they are the opposite of exfoliation, the weathering process that produces rounded boulders. Microcrystalline cerussite makes the ex-galena surfaces glitter. Gift of Dr. Peter Megaw (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Same specimen, from the side. Not

Same specimen, side view to show the crystal’s point of attachment across the pocket. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Same specimen, side view to show t

Same specimen, slightly different view. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Same specimen, slightly different

Slightly different view of the same specimen. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Slightly different view of the sam

Smithsonite on barite. Juanita Tunnel, (Kelly Mine), Magdalena District, Socorro County, New Mexico. 8.5 X 5 cm. When I first found the barite there I thought it was wulfenite. These smithsonite-coated specimens assuaged my disappointment.. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Smithsonite on barite. Juanita Tu

Smithsonite, Kelly Mine, Magdalena District, near Magdalena, New Mexico. 5.5cm X 5.0 cm. From Tony Otero, who ran the rock shop in Magdalena, New Mexico, in 1977. The specimen features a single "Rice Grain" crystal growing off one of the spheres. The splotch of brown is where the "Rice Grain" contacted the other side of the little pocket. My friend Mike refers to this piece as "Right off the cover of Sinkankas". (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Smithsonite, Kelly Mine, Magdalena

This is just a snapshot, showing the minerals mostly for insurance purposes. You can see the damage to the Neudorf galena... (Author: Ed Huskinson)

This is just a snapshot, showing t

Waddell Case, south wall, overview. One year after Tucson Les wrote in his show summary that I had won the "Shoehorn" Trophy for cramming the most specimens into a case. Followed closely by Keith Proctor. Ah, the give and take in the mineralogical brother/sister-hood! See? You can tell that I practice hard for that particular trophy... (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Waddell Case, south wall, overview

Wulfenite Hillside Adit, near the Burney Mine, Chinati Mts, Presidio Co., Texas, USA 3.0 X 4.5 cm. Blades are 0.5 cm across and 2 mm thick. Wulfenite, same locality. The wulfenite crystals are blockier, resemble Tsumeb material, just much smaller. the specimen is 3.0 X 4.5 cm, and the blades are 0.5 cm across and 2 mm thick. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Wulfenite Hillside Adit, near the

Wulfenite Hillside Adit, near the Burney Mine, Chinati Mts, Presidio Co., Texas, USA 3.5 cm X 5.0 cm. Wulfenite. 3.5 cm X 5.0 cm. The yellow blades are on MnOx-coated quartz matrix. The blades are 6mm across. Hillside Adit, near the Burney Mine, Chinati Mountains, Brewster County, Texas. To say that I was surprised when i collected this specimens is an understatement. The pocket yielded only 7 specimens. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Wulfenite Hillside Adit, near the

Wulfenite 2.0 cm X 3.4 cm. Stephenson Bennett Mine, Organ Mountains, Dona Ana county, New Mexico. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Wulfenite 2.0 cm X 3.4 cm. Stephen

Wulfenite 3 X 3 X 3 cm. Stephenson Bennett Mine, Organ Mountains, Dona Ana County, New Mexico. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Wulfenite 3 X 3 X 3 cm. Stephenson

Wulfenite, Los Lamentos, Chihuahua, Mexico. 63mm wide, 60mm tall, and the largest crystal measures 29mm along the edge. (Author: Ed Huskinson)

Wulfenite, Los Lamentos, Chihuahua