INESITE
Specimen ine-4

Dims: 0.8" x 1.0" x 0.6"(2.0 x 2.5 x 1.5 cm)

Wt: 9.8 g. w/ foam base

Hale Creek Mine, Trinity Co., California, U.S.A.

A few dozen small, pink Inesite crystals infest this thumbnail specimen. They occur in a four-sided prismatic form with a sloping termination. Their luster is waxy to pearly and they are dimly translucent. The crystals do not exceed 1/8"(3 mm) in length, and rest on a host rock that looks like a finely-grained granite, but there is not much of it. The specimen is glued into a plastic specimen box for protection.

Dims: 3.0 x 1.9" x 1.6" (7.6 x 4.8 x 4.1 cm)

Wt: 2.04 oz. (57.9 g)

Hale Creek Mine, Trinity Co., California, U.S.A.

This hand specimen consists of at least 25 triclinic prismatic Inesite crystals that rest in a hollow formed by a thin crust. They are the largest Inesites that I have yet seen, measuring up to 0.4" (1 cm) long, and each shows excellent form, with a rhombic cross-section and a sharply sloping termination face. Their flat, clean faces reflect light with a dull, waxy-to-pearly luster, and each crystal is only dimly translucent at the most. The host rock on which they rest has a color that alternates between dark brown and pale cream, and appears to be heavily weathered.

Dims: 2.4 x 1.4 x 1.1" (6.1 x 3.6 x 2.8 cm)

Wt: 1.02 oz. (28.9 g)

Hale Creek Mine, Trinity Co., California, U.S.A.

Several pale pink Inesite crystals rest in a shallow hollow in the dull, chalky host rock of this specimen. These crystals reach lengths of 0.5" (1.3 cm) and are in excellent condition, as they appear to be completely undamaged. They appear to be weathered, but their triclinic prismatic form is still good, having mostly well-defined edges and clean faces whose luster ranges from waxy to bright pearly. All are dimly translucent. I cannot identify the host rock on which they rest.

Dims: 2.7 x 2.2 x 1.8" (6.9 x 5.6 x 4.6 cm)

Wt: 6.78 oz. (192.2 g)

Indian Gulch, Trinity Co., California, U.S.A.

This hand specimen consists of several clusters of Inesite prisms that are scattered on a weathered host rock. These prisms range in length from less than 0.1" (3 mm) to nearly 0.5" (1.3 cm) and are generally in moderately good condition, as many of them are either broken or badly weathered. Those that are intact have good triclinic form, with well-defined edges and curved but clean faces that possess a dull, waxy-to-pearly luster. All have the standard dull pink coloration and are only dimly translucent at best. The base on which they rest appears to be made mostly of Inesite that is either massive and weathered or crystalline and broken.

Dims: 1.8 x 1.7 x 0.8" (4.6 x 4.3 x 2.0 cm)

Wt: 24.8 g

Hale Creek Mine, Trinity County, California, U.S.A.

Most of the mass of this thumbnail specimen is made up of scores of intergrown Inesite crystals. These crystals do not appear to exceed 0.4" (1.0 cm) but are in excellent condition, showing very little damage. Their triclinic prismatic form is even more warped than usual due to the intense intergrowth, and only a few crystals are well-defined. All have a moderately pale pink color and a dull, waxy luster, and are translucent at best. A thin, black-and-brown host rock is attached to one side of the cluster- I cannot define the material, and it appears to be glazed with a lacquer of some sort for protection or stabilization.

Dims: 3.2 x 2.3 x 1.8" (8.1 x 5.8 x 4.6 cm)

Wt: 4.12 oz. (117.1 g)

Hale Creek Mine, Trinity County, California, U.S.A.

Dozens of heavily-intergrown Inesite crystals coat the chalky base of this specimen. These crystals generally do not exceed 0.2" (5 mm) in length but are in very good condition, showing little damage. Their triclinic form is moderately good- it appears to be warped, likely due to their heavy intergrowth. All have the standard pale pink color and waxy luster of their species and are translucent.

Dims: 2.2 x 1.9 x 1.1" (5.5 x 4.9 x 2.7 cm)

Wt: 1.10 oz. (31.1 g)

Hayfork, Trinity County, California, U.S.A.

A few dozen Inesite crystals make up a crust that partly coats the sparse, brown-black host material of this piece. These crystals are generally in good condition and range in length from 0.1 -0.4" (0.3 - 1.0 cm). Their triclinic form is good, considering their intense intergrowth, and all have the pale pink color and dull, waxy luster that is standard for pieces from this locality. The sparse host material appears to be a decomposition product, possibly of a copper mineral, but I cannot define it.

Dims: 4.03x3.22x2.18" (10.23x8.17x5.55cm)

Wt: 21.20oz (601g)

Hale Creek Mine, Trinity County, California, USA

This is a nice specimen of the mineral inesite. It really needs more than two pictures, as the image shows the side with the most crystals, while the closeup is of some crystals on the reverse side which have much better color and form. The crystals are pink and translucent, with an orthorhombic shape.

Dims: 3.31x2.05x1.40in (8.41x5.22x3.55cm)

Wt: 3.89oz (110.3g)

Hale Creek, Trinity County, California, USA

While most of the surface of this specimen is covered by inesite crystals, most of these are pale and discolored by a green mineral. Still, many of the crystals are excellent and display the lovely pink color this mineral is noted for. Some clusters form a lacy patchwork of delicate looking crystals - a loupe is needed to appreciate the true beauty of this specimen.