Pyromorphite, Block 14 Open Cut, Broken Hill, New South Wales

Ca-rich pyromorphite, collected from the Block 14 Open Cut dumps at the Pinnacles Mine, Broken Hill, New South Wales. The photo width is 4.33mm and a stack of 126 images.

Described as Ca-rich pyromorphite for years, there was some thought that this might have been the relatively new species, phosphohedyphane. Kampf et al analysed specimens from Broken Hill when working on the determination of phosphohedyphane, and although it was identified from the locality, it was only as colourless crystals. The white form, such as this specimen, although Ca-rich, was deemed to be pyromorphite.

This specimen exhibits a pale pink fluorescence under longwave UV light.

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Stolzite, Pyromorphite, Broken Hill, New South Wales

Orange-brown stolzite on green to white pyromorphite, Broken Hill, New South Wales. The white crystals could be tending to phosphohedyphane. Steve Sorrell Collection, ex Bill Henderson Collection. Photo width 3.05mm. Stack of 35 images.

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