Sussexite

An instructive cross section through the interior of a “rare mineral pod” from the North Orebody, showing pink, concentrically layered sussexite enclosing an irregular mass of fine-grained, orange, secondary zincite. Surrounding the sussexite is coarse-grained calcite cut by irregular zincite veinlets. The dull black mineral at lower left, with orange zincite, is probably franklinite in highly altered ore. The cavity-filling nature of some Sterling Mine sussexite is especially evident in this specimen, which has been sawn to best show the textural relations of the minerals to advantage. A black-and-white version of this photograph was published as Figure 12-39 on p. 309 of Pete J. Dunn’s 1995 treatise on the local minerals.  The specimen is no. 164055 of the Smithsonian Institution, where for many years Dr. Dunn worked as a mineralogist.

Click image to change size.

View Large Image Only