Harstigen Mine, Sweden

(scroll down for Langban etc.)

ANDRADITE, ACTINOLITE, BARITE(?), Harstigen Mine, Persberg, Bergslagen District, Varmland, Sweden - Nice small lustrous brown/black andradites to about 4mm across with acicular green actinolite and a large white patch that appears to be barite. Lots of fun under the scope; could be trimmed into a good TN. 90x70x30mm, $10

COPPER, Harstigen Mine, Persberg, Bergslagen District, Varmland, Sweden - Minute and extremely thin scales of native copper in and on a mica of some kind, on matrix. Visible without magnification but best appreciated with a scope. 40x25x15mm, $12

FERROWINCHITE (?), RHODONITE, Harstigen Mine, Persberg, Bergslagen District, Varmland, Sweden - Dark green compact embedded radiating crystal sprays with pink to brown rhodonite cleavages. Described as manganese ferro-ferriwinchite by Nysten, Min.Mag. 58, 168-172, 1994; which is however not mentioned in the 1997 IMA amphibole nomenclature revision, hence the (?).

A) sold
B) ~3cm coverage, 5x5x2cm, $25;
C) sold
D) A roughly 1cm patch, appreciable without magnification, 60x40x40mm, $15

HEMATITE, Harstigen Mine, Persberg, Bergslagen District, Varmland, Sweden - A 10mm vug is lined with sparkling micro hematite xls, mostly modified pseudo-cubic. Beautiful under the scope; 50x30x20mm, $5

HYDROCERUSSITE, LEAD, ANDRADITE, TEPHROITE, Harstigen Mine, Persberg, Bergslagen District, Varmland, Sweden - A dull grey-white film of lead and hydrocerussite covers an area about 4x3cm in size on andradite-tephroite matrix. Appreciable without magnification, but the scope picks up the thin film of native lead and hydrocerussite. 80x70x30mm, $25

MICA, Harstigen Mine, Persberg, Bergslagen District, Varmland, Sweden - A few lustrous dark brown/black plates to 1cm of the mica variety "manganophyllite", which is apparently "biotite", which of course is no longer accepted either. So it’s a mica of some sort, embedded in andradite with a patch of hedyphane. 70x50x30mm, $5

MICA, HEMATITE, RHODONITE, Harstigen Mine, Persberg, Bergslagen District, Varmland, Sweden - An awesome specimen under the scope, with hundreds of red mica xls lining a large cavity, accompanied by many fine sharp black magnetite crystals and a bit of rhodonite. Many of the xls have an unusual tabular habit, the hexagonal prisms are flattened, and a cavity on the back of the specimen has exquisite worm-like growths as well. It isn't clear which mica this is; the varietal name is "manganophyllite", which is apparently "biotite", which is no longer valid either. 50x40x30mm, $10

PYROPHANITE, Mn-DIOPSIDE, Harstigen Mine, Persberg, Bergslagen District, Varmland, Sweden - A 3cm patch of fairly abundunt highly lustrous filmy red-brown platy pyrophanite on a largish matrix. Quite appreciable without magnification. 80x50x40mm, $22

RHODONITE xls, Harstigen Mine, Persberg, Bergslagen District, Varmland, Sweden -   A nice TN with a bright pink xln patch of rhodonite on the top edge, with fair xls to about 4mm,  $10; One slightly over-TN sized piece with nice bright pink rhodonite xls with hematite and diopside xls, $12

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Minerals from Langban and elsewhere in Sweden

The standard reference for this, one of the mightiest of all mineral localities, is Langban, The Mines, Their Minerals, Geology, and Explorers, by Bollmark, Holtstam, and eight others.  It's a superb piece of work, so if you don't have it, get it.

Prices in US $ -- Prepayment required -- Minimum order $20 -- Domestic S&H $7
To order, simply email me, tjokela@execulink.com, but please read this page first.
Click any mineral names that are blue and underlined like this to see a photo.

ALAMOSITE, PHLOGOPITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - Minute wispy white acicular sprays coating a fair number of tiny phlogopite cleavages. Solid brown Mn phlogopite, no rock matrix. Very interesting with enough magnification. 70-80mm across, $30

ARAGONITE, LIGHARGE, MAGNESIOFERRITE - Langban, Varmland, Sweden - A white film of minutely botryoidal aragonite with rich red litharge amongst black magnesioferrite. 25x15x10mm, $10

ARSENIOPLEITE, HEDYPHANE, MANGANOPHYLLITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - A small brown mass, about 1mm across, in a matrix of massive hedyphane and manganophyllite. 30x17x9mm, $25. A larger red-brown mass, about 2-3mm across, with more hedyphane, 50x30x12mm, $30

AZURITE, MALACHITE, DIGENITE, CHALCOCITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - A few tiny spots of blue azurite with quite abundant green films of malachite formed from the alteration of Cu sulfides. 25x25x15mm, $15

BARYLITE, HEDYPHANE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - A couple of white cleavages to a few mm in matrix, looking much like calcite but distinguished by its non-fluorescence. 35x20x20mm, $25

BARYSILITE, ANDRADITE, HEMATITE, CALCITE, +? Langban, Varmland, Sweden - A matrix of solid steely black massive hematite and yellow/brown andradite has a 2x2cm vuggy area lined with crudely xlized hematite and modestly well xlized andradite, upon which are one tiny platy pearly white rosette and several other tiny platy aggregates of barysilite. The rosette is under 1mm and the platy masses reach about 2mm. Massive to xln calcite provides a speckled orange glow under SW UV. Lots to look at under 45x! 60x40x30mm, $30

BARYTOCALCITE, HAUSMANNITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden -Massive, rich, speckled with small black hausmannite grains, pale blue-whitish fluorescence in SW UV. 40x30x25mm, $15

BINDHEIMITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - A 1 mm brown grain in matrix; confirmed by analysis. 3x3x2cm, $10

CARYINITE, RHODONITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - (TYPE LOCALITY) Quite rich red-brown greasy massive caryinite, appreciable without magnification, with a bit of Mn-diopside, 16x13x3mm, $20

CASSITERITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - A small thin slab, cut for analysis, with small dark brownish cassiterite grains. 30x15x3mm, $15

CHALCOPYRITE, ANDRADITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - An irregular 1cm bright brassy metallic chalcopyrite mass in a matrix of dark andradite. Some good micro andradite xls are present and could be better exposed with acid. 50x30x20mm, $10

DIOPSIDE, HEMATITE, CALCITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - A couple of tiny glassy greyish/greenish patches, under 2mm, in matrix. 7x4x1cm, $6

HAUSMANNITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - Small black grains, rich, in calcite matrix. 40x25x25mm, $10

LITHARGE, MAGNESIOFERRITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - Reddish patches, best appreciated with a bit of magnification, with black magnesioferrite in matrix. 50x25x15mm, $12

MACEDONITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - Minute yellow/black grains embedded in matrix; some show xl outlines. Specimens of generous size, 4-7cm, $20 each.

MAGNETOPLUMBITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - Small black grains amidst a dark brown mica matrix. Needs magnification for best appreciation. 70x30x20mm, $15

MAGNETOPLUMBITE in HEMATITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - Small lustrous black thin platey crystals embedded in a matrix of solid granular black hematite, reasonably appreciable without magnification. One crystal per specimen, 40-50mm across, $15 each.

MIMETITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - A small yellow mass, a few mm across, in matrix, 30x20x15mm, $8

NADORITE, HEMATITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - A few fairly nice yellow tabular very small xls, under 1mm, in a small vug in hematite matrix 13mm across, $15

PYRITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - A ~2cm dull brassy mass in a 3cm matrix. $5

PYROLUSITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - Dull black dendritic on matrix, 30x10x5mm, $5

QUARTZ, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - A colorless 5mm mass in matrix.60x40x40mm, $5

RHODOCHROSITE +? Langban, Varmland, Sweden - Pale pink finely granular massive with a variety of intergrown subhedral and euhedral microscopic minerals that I can’t positively identify. Interesting stuff. 45x35x20mm, $10

RHODONITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - Reddish/pink granular massive to 25mm in matrix. 60x40x20mm, $8

ROMEITE, ANDRADITE, CALCITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - Finely granular resinous brown romeite dispersed throughout matrix. 3-5 cm, $20.

WELSHITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - (TYPE LOCALITY) A minute brown grain, well under 1mm, confirmed by analysis, in the typical calcite/hematite matrix. 20x20x15mm, $30.

WILLEMITE, Langban, Varmland, Sweden - A small dark 5mm mass, no matrix, with the usual wild green response to SW UV. $10

Other Swedish Localities

EUDIALYTE, Norra Karr, Granna, Smaland County, Sweden - Reddish-pink massive in a white albite matrix, quite rich. 10x5x3cm, $16

FLUORAPOPHYLLITE, Garpenberg North Mine, near Hedemora, Bergslagen mining district, Sweden - 2 cabinet specimens with solid druses of colorless/white xls to 20mm across, at $25 & $35.

LEAD, CALCITE, RHODONITE, WILLEMITE, AMPHIBOLE - Garpenberg North Mine, near Hedemora, Bergslagen mining district, Varmland, Sweden - Thin sheets and veinlets of dull grey native lead on an interesting matrix of wildly fluorescent willemite and calcite, with some pink rhodonite and green amphibole. 100x80x35mm, $50

PETALITE, Varutrask pegmatite, Sweden - grey/white cleavage, ~4cm, no matrix, $10

RAMBERGITE, Garpenberg North Mine, near Hedemora, Bergslagen mining district, Sweden - Crude to excellent brown/black hexagonal crystals, 1-2 mm, with nice tabular clear colorless apophyllite crystals, massive rhodonite, and other associates. 3-5 cm specimens, priced by quality and quantity of crystallization. Recently described, MnS. One reference specimen at $16. Very well xlized for $45 - this is a really nice rock!

TENGENGRENITE, Jakobsberg Mine, 1 km south of Nordmark, Varmland, Sweden - Minute red grains, a few per specimen, in a calcite matrix with massive hausmannite and brucite, 20x minimum required. A rare and hard to obtain species. 2 cm across, $30

To order, simply email me, tjokela@execulink.com, but please read this first.

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