Allanite-(Ce)

Numerous crystals of glassy, nearly black allanite, most 4-7 mm in length, are shown here in a matrix of medium-grained, ivory-colored feldspar partly altered to green epidote.  The orange stains around the allanite grains formed as iron, leached from the allanite during alteration, was reprecipitated locally as limonite.  Also present in this specimen are tiny but well-formed, clove-brown grains of zircon.  A few scattered grains of calcite, white and inconspicuous in daylight but showing bright orange-red fluorescence SW, suggest derivation of this specimen from in or near the Franklin orebody.  The black rim at upper right is part of the weathering rind of the original rock.  This specimen was collected in the late 1980s by Ron DeBlois and remains in his collection.

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