DATOLITE
Specimen dat-3
$ 80.00Dims: 2.3" x 1.9" x 0.9" (5.8 x 4.8 x 2.3 cm)
Wt: 1.83 oz. (51.8 g)
La Aurora Mine, Charcas, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
I was surprised at first of the locality of this specimen, but as it is sometimes associated with danburite, I could understand. It consists of a very thin, pyrite-laden crust which is coated with a crust made up of several monoclinic prismatic Datolite crystals. These crystals range in length from 0.1 - 0.6" (0.3 - 1.5 cm) and are all incomplete due either to intergrowth or to the fact that they all have grown out at acute angles; one of the larger crystals appears to have grown nearly parallel to the underlying crust. All the crystals have well-defined edges and smooth faces that show a waxy-to-pearly luster. Their color is a pale green, which is rather common for this mineral. They appear to be transparent and clear to a degree, though the larger crystals are merely translucent due to cloudy inclusions and probable internal fracturing. Scattered on the Datolite cluster are tiny clusters of almost microscopic, white crystals. I do not know what they are, and they are too small for me to effectively discern their crystal form, even under 10-power magnification.