YUKSPORITE
Specimen yuk-2
$ 25.00Dims: 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.