YUKSPORITE
Specimen yuk-1

Dims: 2.6 x 1.2 x 0.8" (6.6 x 3.0 x 2.0 cm)

Wt: 1.3 oz. (37.1 g)

Mount Yukspor, Khibiny Mountains, Kola Peninsula, Russia

This specimen consists mostly of Yuksporite by weight. The Yuksporite is in the form of flattened, almost micaceous sheets that show no crystalline form. They have a pale pink coloration with light brown highlights and a pearly luster. The material actually makes me think of mica schist, and has other tendencies like it- there are many small, black biotite books that have grown in the Yuksporite matrix. All appear to be damaged or incomplete.

Dims: 2.5 x 1.6 x 1.0" (6.4 x 4.1 x 2.5 cm)

Wt: 1.8 oz. (50.8 g)

Mount Yukspor, Khibiny Mountains, Kola Peninsula, Russia

A substantial portion of this specimen's mass is made up of Yuksporite. This mineral is in the form of thin, formless and compact layers and strongly resembles mica schist in many ways. It has a pale pink coloration and a pearly luster, and is harder than it looks, though initially it has an almost soaply, talc-like texture. It is opaque even in thin layers. Like many mica schists, the Yuksporite acted as a growth matrix for several biotite "books" that show the basal parting that one expects of it, but no hexagonal outline. There are also several veins of milky-white, massive quartz that extend through the Yuksporite.

Dims: 2.7 x 1.9 x 0.8" (6.9 x 4.8 x 2.0 cm)

Wt: 1.64 oz. (46.5 g)

Mount Yukspor, Khibiny Mountains, Kola Peninsula, Russia

Flattened schist-like layers of Yuksporite accompany at least 2 other minerals on this small hand specimen. The Yuksporite shows no definite crystalline form, so its condition cannot be assessed. It most closely resembles mica schist in almost all respects, as it has a micaceous, flaky habit and a pearly luster, and its layers are somewhat serpentine and undulating. Its color is a rather unusual pale pink that is close to "salmon" in color. It is accompanied by what appears to be white, semicrystalline actinolite, but I am not sure. There are also some small but definite black crystals present, but I cannot identify them.

Dims: 2.9 x 1.6 x 0.8" (7.3 x 4.1 x 2.0 cm)

Wt: 2.10 oz. (59.7 g)

Mount Yukspor, Khibiny Mountains, Kola Peninsula, Russia

This large thumbnail specimen consists of formations of at least 2 different minerals that are embedded in a Yuksporite matrix. The Yuksporite is not necessarily crystalline, but more in a form that is akin to a mica schist, occurring as compact, undulating layers of thin, warped blades. Its color is a pale pink-beige and it has a moderate pearly luster that also resembles that of mica schist. There is a small amount of massive quartz embedded in the Yuksporite, along with two large masses of a material that I cannot identify. It has most of the same properties of the Yuksporite, but is black in color. It does appear to be a bit more fibrous in habit, though.

Dims: 0.5 x 0.4 x 0.3" (1.4 x 1.0 x 0.7 cm)

Wt: 1 g

Mount Yukspor, Khibiny, Kola Peninsula, Russia

This tiny thumbnail specimen consists of a small piece of Yuksporite. It shows no isolated crystals, but has a compact, fibrous habit that may be quite unusual for the specie. It has the standard pale pink color and pearly luster, and is essentially opaque as a whole. A tiny amount of a gray host rock is attached, and the piece is protected within a small plastic box.

Dims: 2.7x1.7x1.5" (6.9x4.3x3.9 cm)

Wt: 3.6 oz. (100.5g)

Mount Yukspor, Khibiny Mountains, Kola Peninsula, Russia

This small hand specimen is mostly a radial cluster of extremely fine yuksporite crystals. They are a beige to pink color with an overall fibrous appearance. Under a loupe, the dull surface resolves to a silky luster from the tiny crystals which remain too small to see. In fact, the yuksporite formations are intricate and quite pretty on this scale. The outside of the specimen is covered with several minerals, including calcite, what I believe to be shorl, and likely several other minerals. There are several crevasses towards the center of the yuksporite, giving the appearance that the crystals grew in towards the center, rather than out from it.

Dims: 2.37x1.69x0.72" (6.02x4.29x1.83cm)

Wt: 1.80oz (50.9g)

Kudriary Volcano, Iturup Island, Russia

The host rock on this specimen is nearly completely covered with sheets of yuksporite. This mineral has a rose-brown color, and a silky luster. In some areas it looks like a mica, while in others it looks more like a pinkish-brown eggshell. A loupe reveals that it is componsed of a myriad small clusters of fibrous crystals, yielding the silky luster. A ridge of the yuksporite is well exposed, revealing that it is translucent.