Happy Holidays All!

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays and well wishes for the coming year, 2017.

Strengite

Strengite

Strengite is a relatively rare iron phosphate mineral with the formula: FePO₄ · 2H₂O.^[4] The mineral is named after the German mineralogist Johann August Streng (1830–1897).^[5] Lavender, pink or purple in hue, it is similar to variscite^[6] and is partially soluble, particularly in conditions where there is a low pH and low oxidation-reduction potential.^{[4]   Wikipedia}  

 ^{You may remember my pictures of Variscite on Nov. 26, 2016.}

^Strengite

 

Strengite

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Boracite

Boracite

I must confess that I still don't have a concept of this crystal in my mind even after photographing it.  I am unsure what the other side looks like.  It is so tiny that I can't seem to get it to set on the visible side.  This might be a good candidate for a video.

Boracite

This is a shot from the side.

The chemical formula is Mg₃B₇O₁₃Cl.  Mohs scale hardness 7 - 7.5.  Wikipedia describes it Crystal habit Crystalline, disseminated (pseudocubic)

This sample came from near Hanover, Germany.



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Sapphire

Uncut Rough Yellow/clear Sapphire

When I talked to Carol about this sample, she thought is would be blue, much like you and I would.  I later discovered that Sapphire can also be yellow, purple, orange, clear, aka white, and green.  It is Mohs scale hardness 9.0, next to the hardest, diamond, at 10.  A red one would be called a Ruby.  The chemical formula is Al₂O_3. 

Uncut Rough Yellow/clear Sapphire

_{I found lots of industrial uses for sapphire.  Since it is basically corundum, it could be used as an abrasive.  Synthetic sapphire could be used for unbreakable glass.  This sample came from Sri Lanka.} 

Uncut Rough Yellow/clear Sapphire

_{I enjoyed photographing this sample.  I wonder is someone started to rough it out for polishing and quit for some reason.}

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Spinel

Spinel

This is spinel, a gem whose formula is MgAl₂O_4.           

 This sample comes from Burma, now known as Myanmar.  As you can see, it is translucent.  A gem quality sample would be transparent.  Its color could be red, pink, blue, lavender/violet, dark green, brown, black, clear.  Mohs scale hardness 7.5–8.0.  

Spinel

A red clear one could be called a ruby.

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Memories From the Past Season

Tall Sunflower

I loved the tall sunflower then as I miss it now.

Gold Finch

This bird may stay around this winter but the tall sunflower has died.

Slaty Skimmer Female

Eastern Cottontail

 

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Unknown Dragonfly

Unknown Dragonfly

I think this may be a teneral, just molted, form of some dragonfly.  It will go through this stage and become something I can identify.  Please note that it is perched on wool grass.

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Wool Grass

Wool Grass

This grass is really a sedge.  It is common at Gorman.  It grows from rhizomes and likes damp, marsh and pond, habitats.  I think it particularly beautiful at the stage.

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Zincite

Zincite

Zincite is the mineral form of zinc oxide (ZnO). Its crystal form is rare in nature.... Wikipedia.

 This sample came from Palmerton, PA and is small.

Zincite

It has a hexagonal crystal structure and a color that depends on the presence of impurities....

 Zincite crystals can be grown artificially, and synthetic zincite crystals are available as a by-product of zinc smelting. Synthetic crystals can be colorless or can range in color from dark red, orange, or yellow to light green.  Wikipedia

It occurs to me that this sample may be one extracted as a by product of Zinc Smelting.

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Pasture Puffball

Pasture Puffball

I found this mushroom growing by the side of the trail around the end of September.  It was in an early stage of growth.  I identified it at Vascellum depressum, aka, Vascellum pratense.  As you may have noticed it was growing in the pine forest habitat.

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Variscite

Variscite

Color contrast was the first aspect I noticed on the this sample.  I then noticed that it was pricey and the question, "Why?", came to mind.  Thankfully, it was identified for me.

Variscite

It was a tiny sample.  I looked it up and discovered that it was RARE for three reasons.

One, it is a rare mineral: aluminium phosphate mineral (AlPO₄·2H₂O) 

Two, it is seldom found in crystals like this one.  It usually occurs as a fine grained mineral.

Three, it is almost always green.  I found a few rare green crystals in this sample.

Variscite, Green Crystals

I found a few rare green crystals in this sample.

Variscite, Clear Crystals

Variscite can be clear to translucent but I don't know how to identify these clear crystals.

Variscite is popular as a gem.

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Black Friday

Baccarat Crystal Tree

The day has finally arrived!  Some could not wait and initiated holiday shopping a week or two early.  Not so with us all, though.  This is the day we begin.  Happy shopping!

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Turquoise

Turquoise

I did not make a connection between the mineral pictured above and the gem.  The connection was bridged by sample I purchased at a show.

Sample of Turquoise

I had a large piece of it that someone gave me, not this.  I had tried to identify it without success.  The person who gave it to me thought it came from Australia.  I have since given the large sample to one or two of my grandchildren and don't remember whom.

Turquoise

The gem can be polished to a bright luster.  It has a rich history of use as a gem. 


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Silver

Silver

I promised to come back to this one.  It is silver.  It looks to me like the melted silver flowed into the ground or sand filling the spaces, cooled and hardened.  When the mold is washed away we see this irregular object.

Silver

Silver was a profound part of photography in the early days.  Its use has reduced since the advent of digital.

It has electrical conductance properties.  To my understanding, this sample is pure silver, native silver.

We are aware of its jewelry, silverware and decorative uses.  It is valuable and some invest money in it by buying coins.  The bulk of the worlds silver comes from copper, gold, lead and zinc refining.

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Scoria

Scoria

Scoria is lava.  It has all the holes, vesicles, because it had much gas mixed in with the melted rock.

Scoria

It is either andecitic or balsaltic, referring to the kind of melted rock from which it comes.

Scoria

The volcano from which this came probably exploded.

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Emerald

Emerald

Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be₃Al₂(SiO₃)₆) colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium.^[2] Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale.  I understand the Wikipedia description thus far.  A diamond is 10 on the Mohs scale and so it is relatively hard.

I obtained this sample at a show.  It is not large.

Emerald Camera Setup

The Gem is, of course, transparent, which is one of the criteria by which a gem is judged.  The purity here is not such that we could use it for jewelry.

Emerald from South America

Obviously, this sample is from South America.  Emerald is found throughout the world in many countries.

Emerald

A closeup look is also interesting.  This sample is obviously not of gem quality and is therefore worth very little.  I, however; like looking at it.

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Western Honey Bees

Western Honey Bee

They are call "Western" because they came West from Europe.  They did well here.

Western Honey Bee

We need to remember that they are important for more than their honey.  Without pollinators, our human food supply would fail.  We would not have fertile seed to plant next year.

Western Honey Bee

Most of the kinds of plants at Gorman are not part of the human food supply but these bees like them as well.

Western Honey Bee

I would sneeze if I stuck my nose into the flower like they do.

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Ironstone

Ironstone From Queensland Australia

As you might notice, this ironstone and others resemble sandstone because they are.  The color comes from iron.  This sample is from Queensland Australia.  It that region is associated with Gold, Silver and copper mining.

Ironstone From Queensland Australia

It is banded because it is a sedimentary rock, formed by deposits on the seafloor.  

Ironstone From Queensland Australia

The banding becomes more visible as we zoom out.  I think the white specks are probably quartz.

Ironstone From Queensland Australia

I learned that ironstone sometimes hosts opal concretions from the the tag on which the sample was mounted and from reading in Wikipedia.

Ironstone From Queensland Australia

I considered it like a geode.  I had to open it to look for opal.  I used a chisel based on recommendations from a knowing friend but I found no opal.

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Honey Bees

Honey Bee

As Autumn progresses around us honey bees and tall sunflowers are becoming a more and more distant memory.

These shots are in my blog folder because I thought them worth your viewing.

Honey Bees

 

 

 

 

 

I think that I enjoy looking at the flower as much or more than I enjoy looking at the insect.

Honey Bee

They work so hard!  

Honey Bee

They just buzz past me onto the flower.  I try not to wear any scents. 

Honey Bee

They never seem to rest! 

I am looking forward to photographing them again next year.

 

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