Sprays of white tiptopite with reddish brown
roscherite, white
englishite and white blades of
montgomeryite on
beryl
matrix
White acicular crystal sprays of tiptopite to 0.75 mm, sparse, with abundant
white, cotton-ball like crystals of
englishite, dark green almost black
roscherite crystals to 1 mm and white
montgomeryite on
beryl
matrix.
White to clear prismatic crystals to 0.75 mm in radial sprays associated with
red
roscherite,
englishite and
montgomeryite.
Origin: Tip Top mine, Custer Co., South Dakota, U.S.A. (type locality)
Sample size: 8 x 6 x 5 cm (top/2nd row), 6 x 5 x 1.5 cm (3rd row), 4 x 2.5 x 1
cm (4th/bottom row)
Sprays of white tiptopite with red
roscherite, white
englishite, white blades of
montgomeryite and yellow 3 mm
whiteite
on beryl
matrix
Origin: Tip Top mine, Custer Co., South Dakota, U.S.A. (type locality)
Sample size: 10 x 4 x 5 cm
Fine spray of tiptopite to 1 mm with red
roscherite
Fine spray of tiptopite to 1 mm with red
roscherite and white
montgomeryite
Tiptopite with
fairfieldite and
roscherite
A specimen profusely littered with tiptopite,
roscherite,
englishite,
hurlbutite and
montgomeryite. The tiptopite occurs as clear white, acicular sprays to 0.5
mm growing out of deep red
roscherite or scattered amongst white, "turbid"
hurlbutite crystal beads, pearly white
englishite and pink
montgomeryite.
Tiptopite with
roscherite,
englishite and
montgomeryite. Ex. Groben collection, ex.
Korpi collection
This piece is absolutely packed with rare phosphates. The rarest of course is
the tiptopite which occurs as clear, acicular radial sprays to nearly 1mm.
Tiptopite is abundant on this specimen and is set off nicely by the deep to
bright red
roscherite. Also occuring are light yellow
whiteite
crystals to 1.5 mm - these are sparse on the matrix. In between, under, and
all around these minerals are snow white
englishite crystals probably to 0.5 mm and murky white spherical
hurlbutite crystals to about 0.5 mm.
Montgomeryite also occurs as white lath-like crystals to maybe 1 mm. The
matrix is beryl.
Origin: Tip Top mine, Custer Co., South Dakota, United States (type locality)
Sample size: 3 x 2 x 2 cm (top), 2 x 1.5 x 1 cm (2nd row), 9 x 6 x 3 cm
(3rd row), 7 x 5 x 3.5 cm (4th row), 5 x 2.5 x 2 cm (5th row), 7 x 5 x 3 cm
(6th row), 13 x 7 x 6 cm (7th row), 14 x 7 x 8 cm
(bottom)
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