Extremely Rare Vinogradovite Crystals – Mont Saint - Hilaire – Analyzed
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:19718502 | Modified Item: No |
| Seller: LMB Minerals | Country/Region of Manufacture: Canada |
Superbextremely rare Vinogradovite micro crystals – Mont Saint-Hilaire – Analyzed Size 30 x 20 x 20 mm. Weight: 0.6 oz (17 g). Regarding vinogradovite and this specimen:Vinogradovite isa very rare mineral. While it is known from perhaps 30 localities, only a fewhave produced well-terminated crystals such as the ones on this specimen. Thesecrystals are very small but nonetheless superb for the species. Thecrystals from this find were visually identified as vinogradovite ...by Gilles Haineault and further confirmed – to theextent possible - via qualitative EDS on another specimen from this find. Seethe discussion of the EDS scans for more details.Given thesmall size of the crystals, the specimen itself is a bit large. Could it betrimmed? Probably.You might even wind up with more than one specimen. There isat least one other cavity with even smaller crystals that are not well exposed, and there could be other hidden cavities. But not with my splitter. Regarding the photos: The first three photos (FOV 1.1 x1.7 mm) show all of the well-formed vinogradovitecrystals on the specimen. Obviously these are very small crystals – ca 0.5mm. You will need 30-50X to see them clearly. In visualizing the crystals itmay be helpful to flip back and forth between the first two photos. This givessomewhat of a 3D effect. Better yet, if you can fuse “cross-eye” stereo images, look at the third of these photos.The nextphoto (FOV 0.7 x 0.7 mm) is an extreme close-up of the best of the bestcrystals. But this is a very old photo and the color balance came out too blue.Some of these photos can also be seen on Mindatunder minID 42J-LF7.Regarding the EDS scans:Scan #289X is a good match for what one might expectvia qualitative EDS. (The Na peak may look very puny, but Na is very difficultto detect with this equipment. The peak is actually "significant".)By itself, the scan, even in conjunction with thehabit and environment (igneous breccia), may not be entirely convincing. AtMSH, lorenzenite is found in the same environment, and can look similar.However, for lorenzenite, one would expect the Si peak to be lower relative toTi. Compare, for example, with scan #166 for unusually pale lorenzenite from apegmatite. (That was a very rare occurrence. More commonly, lorenzenite has amuch deeper color than the colorless transparent vinogradovite crystals on thisspecimen. My point is that even the nearly colorless lorenzenite produced ascan that is distinctly different from scan #289X for the vinogradovite fromthis find. Of course, these are just qualitative scans, so, strictly speaking, comparison of peak heights is unreliable.) Regarding shipping etc:Single item shipping weight 3.4oz (96 g). Please use the postage calculator to estimate shipping costs toyour destination. Note that eBay and PayPal sellercharges are based on the total price - including postage and packingcosts! This adds about $2.25 to the cost of shipping to most non-USAdestinations. For small orders, I must pass most of this extra cost on to thebuyer. It is included in the shipping estimate via a “handling” charge. Forlarger orders, I generally give discounted postage. If you want to save on postage by combiningitems from this or other auctions you must wait for my invoice. I willautomatically combine items if I can. For shipments outsidethe USA, up to a total weight< 8 oz (225g), this can be combined with items from this or otherauctions for the same postage. Within the USA, the net shippingcost for total weights up to 13 oz ranges from $5.10 to $7.00 (including $0.75for packing). Above 13 oz, I will use "own box" PriorityMail. The rate, including packing and eBay/PayPal fees varies bydestination from $9 to $11.I only ship standard rate to the USA (including Puerto Rico etc), Canada, Mexico, Europe (excluding Russian Federation), Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. All other destinations, you must inquire before bidding. I will try to work with you, but insurance andfull tracking may be required. If you experience a lost package, you may bebarred from further bidding. In my experience, there has been only one lostpackage and two damaged packages out of several hundred sent. I have done my best to provide accurate IDs. Ifyou are not convinced, don't bid. You are always welcome to ask for moreinformation. But this is not an "approval" service for peoplewho want to learn how to identify rare minerals or mineralogists looking forstudy material. Returns are only accepted for items over $50, and thebuyer is responsible for return postage. Shipping charges assessed for packagesreturned due to non-payment of any customs/VAT fees assessed by the destinationcountry are also the buyer's responsibility. This should not be a"real" issue. Out of several hundred packages sent, I have had onlyone return.
