ZEUNERITE
Specimen zeu-2

Dims: 1.0 x 0.7 x 0.4" (2.6 x 1.9 x 1.0 cm)

Wt: 15 g

Majuba Hill Mine, Pershing County, Nevada, U.S.A.

Three clusters of tiny Zeunerite blades rest on the rusty shale base of this thumbnail specimen. The crystals therein do not exceed 0.1" (3 mm) in length or width and are generally in very good condition- the largest cluster shows some light damage. Each crystal has excellent tetragonal tabular form, a pale-green color and a pearly luster. As it contains uranium, it registers readily on a Geiger-Muller counter. The piece is hot-glued into a plastic thumbnail box.

Dims:1.1x0.8x0.6" (2.8x2.0x1.5 cm)

Wt: 0.4oz. (10g)

Gilgal, New England Range, New South Wales, Australia

Scattered on a bit of host material are several thin, tabular crystals of zeunerite. These crystals are undamaged. With the aide of a loupe, one can distinguish the tetragonal crystal form of this mineral. In fact, the crystals much resemble torbernite, although somewhat lighter in color. Zeunerite is named for the director of the School of Mines in Freiburg, Germany-Gustav Zeuner.

Dims:2.7x2.0x1.1" (6.9x5.1x2.8 cm)

Wt: 3.3oz. (93g)

Majuba Hill Mine, Pershing cty., Nevada

The surface of this specimen is flecked with numerous tabular crystals of zeunerite. These crystals are tiny, but may be examined with a loupe. They exhibit the micaceous cleavage that has earned it the nickname "uranium mica". Zeunerite is tetragonal in form, and this specimen demonstrates that well.