HERCYNITE

Hercynite, an iron aluminum oxide mineral of the spinel group, is a relatively rare mineral locally and has been little studied. It was first reported by Parker (1983), who noted that hercynite was found as dark reddish brown to black 1 cm crystals, associated with phlogopite and norbergite in the Franklin Quarry, formerly known as the Farber Quarry. It was verified as hercynite using a combination of X-ray diffraction and EDAX analysis. Hercynite is also found as the core of some chromian gahnite specimens from near the Sterling Hill orebody (Dunn and Frondel, 1990) and is discussed
above with gahnite. Hercynite has not been found in the orebodies; it is a mineral of the Franklin Marble. (Dunn, 1995)

Location Found:

Franklin and Ogdensburg

Year Discovered:

1847

Formula:

Fe²⁺Al₂O₄

Essential Elements:

Aluminum, Iron, Oxygen

All Elements in Formula:

Aluminum, Iron, Oxygen

IMA Status:

Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"

To find out more about this mineral at minDat's website, follow this link Hercynite

References:

Dunn, Pete J. (1995). Franklin and Sterling Hill New Jersey: the world's most magnificent mineral deposits. Franklin, NJ.: The Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society. p.581

The Picking Table References

	PT Issue and Page	Description / Comment
View Issue	V. 27 No. 2 - Fall 1986, pg. 6	Minerals of the Franklin Quarry, Philip P. Betancourt, Hercynite
View Issue	V. 24 No. 2 - Fall 1983, pg. 9	Mineral Notes Recent Discoveries, Hercynite

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