American Mineralogist's Image Gallery

Virgilite: LixAlxSi3-xO6

Comments: B&W image of euhedral virgilite crystal surrounded by glass containing several other virgilite crystals. Plane polarized light. AmMin v63:461.
Location: Clear pale-green glass found as stream cobbles near Macusani, Peru. Scale: Crystal Size 40 µm.
© American Mineralogist

Virgilite: LixAlxSi3-xO6

Comments: B&W image of euhedral virgilite crystal surrounded by glass containing several other virgilite crystals. Plane polarized light. AmMin v63:461.
Location: Clear pale-green glass found as stream cobbles near Macusani, Peru. Scale: Crystal Size 40 µm.
© American Mineralogist

Wairauite: CoFe

Comments: Octahedra of wairauite in serpentinite. AmMin v33:942.
Location: Red Hills serpentinites of the Wairau Valley, South Island, New Zealand. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Wairauite: CoFe

Comments: Octahedra of wairauite in serpentinite. AmMin v33:942.
Location: Red Hills serpentinites of the Wairau Valley, South Island, New Zealand. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Walthierite: Ba0.5Al3(SO4)2(OH)6

Comments: SEM BSE image of subhedral and euhedral walthierite (light gray) enclosed within alunite (dark gray). (AmMin, v77:1275).
Location: El Indio gold, silver, and copper deposit, Tambo mining district, Coquimbo region, Chile. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Walthierite: Ba0.5Al3(SO4)2(OH)6

Comments: SEM BSE image of subhedral and euhedral walthierite (light gray) enclosed within alunite (dark gray). (AmMin, v77:1275).
Location: El Indio gold, silver, and copper deposit, Tambo mining district, Coquimbo region, Chile. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Werdingite: (Mg,Fe)2Al14B4Si4O37

Comments: B&W PPL image of grandidierite-hercynite symplectite replacing werdingite (W), whereas adjacent kornerupine (K) appears unafected. (AmMin, v75:415).
Location: Granulite facies of the Namaqualand metamorphic complex at Bok se Puts, Namaqualand, South Africa. Scale: Picture Size 3 mm.
© American Mineralogist

Werdingite: (Mg,Fe)2Al14B4Si4O37

Comments: B&W PPL image of grandidierite-hercynite symplectite replacing werdingite (W), whereas adjacent kornerupine (K) appears unafected. (AmMin, v75:415).
Location: Granulite facies of the Namaqualand metamorphic complex at Bok se Puts, Namaqualand, South Africa. Scale: Picture Size 3 mm.
© American Mineralogist

Xitieshanite: Fe+++(SO4)(Cl)·7(H2O)

Comments: Photomicrographs of xitieshanite crystals from acid mine drainage seeps. AmMin, v90, p 1520.
Location: Green Valley, Vigo County, Indiana, USA. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Xitieshanite: Fe+++(SO4)(Cl)·7(H2O)

Comments: Photomicrographs of xitieshanite crystals from acid mine drainage seeps. AmMin, v90, p 1520.
Location: Green Valley, Vigo County, Indiana, USA. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Xocolatlite: Ca2Mn++++2Te++++++2O12·H2O

Comments: SEM image showing the gel-like texture in xocolatlite at the contact with quartz. (AmMin, v93:1912).
Location: Bambolla mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Xocolatlite: Ca2Mn++++2Te++++++2O12·H2O

Comments: SEM image showing the gel-like texture in xocolatlite at the contact with quartz. (AmMin, v93:1912).
Location: Bambolla mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Yakovenchukite-(Y): K3NaCaY2(Si12O30)·4H2O

Comments: B&W image of a druse of yakovenchukite-(Y) crystals in a void within sodalite-aegirine-microcline veinlet in ijoliteurtite. (AmMin v92:1527).
Location: Mt. Kukisvumchorr (Khibiny Massif), Russia. Scale: Picture size 3.0 x 2.4 mm.
© American Mineralogist

Yakovenchukite-(Y): K3NaCaY2(Si12O30)·4H2O

Comments: B&W image of a druse of yakovenchukite-(Y) crystals in a void within sodalite-aegirine-microcline veinlet in ijoliteurtite. (AmMin v92:1527).
Location: Mt. Kukisvumchorr (Khibiny Massif), Russia. Scale: Picture size 3.0 x 2.4 mm.
© American Mineralogist

Yoshiokaite: (Ca8-(x/2)[ ](x/2)Al16-xSixO32)

Comments: B&W image of the largest yoshiokaite crystal yet found (grain #23); note fracturing probably caused by shock deformation and the groundmass of regolith glass. (AmMin v75:676).
Location: At a distance of about 224 m from their Apollo 14 lunar lander, in the bottom of a 30-cm-deep trench, Mitchell and Shepard collected the two-gram rock that is regolith breccia 14076. Scale: Scale Bar 50 µm.
© American Mineralogist

Yoshiokaite: (Ca8-(x/2)[ ](x/2)Al16-xSixO32)

Comments: B&W image of the largest yoshiokaite crystal yet found (grain #23); note fracturing probably caused by shock deformation and the groundmass of regolith glass. (AmMin v75:676).
Location: At a distance of about 224 m from their Apollo 14 lunar lander, in the bottom of a 30-cm-deep trench, Mitchell and Shepard collected the two-gram rock that is regolith breccia 14076. Scale: Scale Bar 50 µm.
© American Mineralogist

Zaccagnaite: Zn4Al2(OH)12(CO3)·3(H2O)  
Fraipontite: (Zn,Al)3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4

Comments: Scanning electron microscope image of hexagonal, tapering, prismatic zaccagnaite crystals, covered by a thin crust of fraipontite. (AmMin 86:1294).
Location: Marble quarries of the Carrara basin (Apuan Alps, Italy). Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Zaccagnaite: Zn4Al2(OH)12(CO3)·3(H2O)  
Fraipontite: (Zn,Al)3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4

Comments: Scanning electron microscope image of hexagonal, tapering, prismatic zaccagnaite crystals, covered by a thin crust of fraipontite. (AmMin 86:1294).
Location: Marble quarries of the Carrara basin (Apuan Alps, Italy). Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Zincalstibite: Zn2AlSb(OH)12

Comments: SEM image of two trianglular prizms of zincalstibite among small sticks of amorphous material.
Location: Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Zincalstibite: Zn2AlSb(OH)12

Comments: SEM image of two trianglular prizms of zincalstibite among small sticks of amorphous material.
Location: Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist