PHANTOMS

Autunite

  

Autunite under LW-UV light

Origin: Autun, France

Owner: Axel Emmermann

Sample size: crystals to 3 mm

 

The photograph on the left shows part of the specimen in which the central crystal displays a striking fluorescent growth-phantom in the shape of a butterfly. The photograph on the right shows a close-up (real photo, not a "zoom") of this remarkable crystal. Autunite fluoresces nearly always and is one of the strongest fluorescent minerals known.

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Beryl

     

Aquamarine phantom with schorl

Origin: Shigar Valley, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan

Sample size: 3.5 x 1.8 x 1.6 cm

 

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Calcite

     

  

     

Celestine

Cerussite

     

Colemanite

     

This specimen has bladed crystals of colemanite to 1.2 cm in length which are included with orpiment. The inclusions form sharp phantoms.

Origin: Boron, Kern County, California, U.S.A.

Sample size: 4 x 3.5 x 2.7 cm

 

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Fluorite

      

        

Fluorite (dodecahedral phantoms in cubes)

Origin: Leiyang Mine, Hunan Province, China

Sample size: 6 x 5 x 4 cm

Fluorite (phantom) on sphalerite

rigin: Tetrahedrite Stope, Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Park County, Colorado, U.S.A.

Sample size: 3.5 x 3 x 1.5 cm

 

     

Fluorite (phantoms) with rhodochrosite on quartz

Origin: Jelly Pocket (2000), Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Park County, Colorado, U.S.A.

Sample size: 15 x 13 x 4 cm

 

              

Fluorite with chalcopyrite and yellow phantom inclusions

Origin: Rosiclare Level Minerva #1 Mine, Cave-in-Rock District, Hardin County, Illinois, U.S.A.
mined circa early 1970's

Sample size: 4.2 x 3.5 x 3.25 cm

 

        

This is a sharp cube of fluorite with gas and liquid phase inclusions. The crystal has an odd almost cloudy or foggy inclusion in its interior. It also has several phantoms of light violet coloration.

 

     

Fluorite with Galena and Quartz (blue phantom pocket)

Origin: Taolin, Hunan Province, China

Sample size: 12 x 10 x 4 cm

 

        

Phantom fluorite on quartz

Origin: Berbes, Asturias, Spain
ex. Dr. Edward David Collection

Sample size: 8.9 x 8.4 x 5.6 cm

 

  

Fluorite (with phantom) with quartz

Origin: Yaogangxian Mine, Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China

Sample size: 8.8 x 5.8 x 4.1 cm

 

 

Photo courtesy of: 

Rob Lavinsky

The Arkenstone

  

  

Fluorite with phantoms

Origin: Okarusu, Namibia

Sample size: 4.4 x 3.1 cm

 

     

Fluorite (phantom) with wolframite and inclusion of scheelite (fluoresces under SW-UV light) on quartz

     

Fluorite phantom with quartz , gas and liquid inclusions

Origin: Yaogangxie Mine, Hunan Province, China

Sample size: 5 x 4 x 3 cm (top), 2.6 x 2.6 x 2 cm (bottom)

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

     

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

     

 

     

 

  

 

  

Fluorite with phantoms

Origin: Okarusu, Namibia

Sample size: 6 x 3.2 cm (top, ), 4 x 3.7 cm (2nd row), 5.7 x 5 cm (3rd row), 4 x 3 cm (4th row), 9.5 x 5.5 cm (5th row), 7 x 3.5 cm (6th row), 2.9 x 2.1 cm (7th row), 4.8 x 4 cm (8th row), 10 x 5 cm (9th row), 6 x 3.8 cm (10th row), 6.7 x 4.5 cm (bottom)

        

Fluorite with phantoms

Origin: Ping Wu Mine, Yao Guang Xian Mine, Sichuan Province, China

Sample size: 7 x 4.2 x 2.5 cm

     

This specimen is comprised of complete and lustrous fluorite with attached crystals of quartz and minor marcasite. The fluorite is a pale yellow colour with distinct phantoms of darker bluish colour.

 

        

This is a sharp cube of fluorite with gas and liquid phase inclusions. The crystal has an odd almost cloudy or foggy inclusion in its interior. It also has several phantoms of light violet coloration.

        

This is a bright crystal of rich sky blue fluorite with numerous internal phantoms coloured various shades of violet and blue. The crystal has only one very small corner nick and the very core of the crystal has a node of sphalerite.

 

     

Rhodochrosite with fluorite (phantom) on quartz

Origin: Steve's Pocket, Fluorite Raise, Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Park Co., Colorado, U.S.A.

Sample size: 9.5 x 6.1 x 3.2 cm

 

        

Quartz with fluorite (phantoms preserving former habits), chalcopyrite and scheelite

Origin: Kara Oba, Karaganda Oblast, Kazakhstan

Sample size: 7.5 x 3.7 x 3.5 cm

 

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Gypsum

  

Pharmacosiderite

  

Origin: Kamareza Mines (Christiana; Hilarion; Jean Baptiste; Serpieri), Agios Konstantinos [St Constantine] (Kamareza; Kamariza), Lavrion District, Attikí (Attica; Attika) Prefecture, Greece

Sample size: crystals to 1.5 mm, with arseniosiderite (left), transperant pale green intergrown pharmacosiderite crystal aggregate, with yellow-green phantoms. The reddish colour cast is caused by underlying goethite, with arseniosiderite, and partly oxidised jarosite. Area 1.2 cm (right)

Owner: Steve Rust

 

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Quartz

  

Dark yellow transparent grouping of terminated quartz crystals, showing neat black phantom crystals.

Origin: Minas Gerais, Brazil

Ex Dave Ellis collection

Sample size: 1.6 x 1.2 x 5.5 cm

 

        

Glassy transparent colourless and sharp crystals of quartz to 3.5 cm in size completely covering a  matrix. The quality of these crystals is very high, and they show neat dark red inclusions and phantoms of hematite. There are also colourless inclusions of crystallized dolomite. Minor dark green crystallized epidote is present near the center of the specimen.

Origin: quarry near Hongquizheng, Meigu County, Sichuan Province, China

Sample size: 9 x 5.5 x 4.5 cm

 

  

Single terminated prismatic transparent quartz crystal, partly red due to inclusions of hematite, showing a phantom crystal. Also the crystal is partly green due to inclusions of chlorite(?).

Origin: near Jinlong, Guangdong Province, China

Sample size: 3.5 x 2.5 x 12.5 cm

 

  

A neat and unique piece consisting of water clear glassy transparent quartz crystals showing several different generations of crystal growth. The underlying crystals are coated by micro dustings of specular hematite. The next generation is partly overgrown, sort of like a scepter, over the crystals of the first generation. The underlying crystal generation then shows sharp hematite lined phantom crystals through the second generation. Minor epidote in association.

Origin: quarry near Hongquizheng, Meigu County, Sichuan Province, China

Sample size: 7.5 x 13.5 x 3 cm

 

     

A rare inclusion of a terminated quartz crystal (of the same-variety) where you can clearly see a distinct inner termination within the overlaying quartz crystal that is NOT simply a phantom termination (a phantom has the same orientation to the outer termination), but the product of independent growth. Such inclusions are much rarer than mere phantom layered quartz crystals.

Origin: Montgomery County, Arkansas

Sample size: 14 x 7 x 7 cm

 

Origin: Minas Gerais, Brazil

Sample size: 5 x 3.5 x 8.5 cm in size showing a sharp phantom crystal

 

     

Amethyst phantom

Origin: Amatitlan, Mun. de Zumpango del Rio, Guerrero, Mexico

Sample size: 3 x 1.5 x 8 cm

 

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Quartz with phantoms of hematite coating an earlier phase of the crystal growth. There are also small clusters of epidote.

Origin: Megu, Sichuan, China, Asia

Sample size: 7.3 x 4 x 1.7 cm (top), 9 x 5.4 x 4.2 cm (2nd row), 8.8 x 6.5 x 4.7 cm (3rd row), 8.3 x 6.2 x 1.8 cm (4th row), 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.8 cm (5th row), 4 x 2.7 x 2.2 cm (bottom row)

 

     

This fully terminated crystal of quartz is included with numerous small crystals of floating molybdenite to 2.5 mm across. There is a partial phantom defined by the molybdenite crystals. There is some pulverized quartz which has been silicified on two of the pyramid faces.

Origin: Confianza Mine, Tilama, Chile

Sample size: 10.4 x 5.5 x 4.2 cm

 

     

This doubly terminated crystal of quartz has phantom inclusions of an unknown green mineral.

Origin: Shigar Valley, Baltistan, Pakistan

Sample size: 6.7 x 2 x 1.4 cm

        

Chlorite inclusions phantom in quartz

Origin: Nikolai-Shot, Polar Urals, Russia

Ex. Keith Hayes collection (KQ Minerals)

Sample size: 4.7 x 1.6 x 0.9 cm

 

              

Amethyst phantom

Origin: Gobobobes Mountains,, Brandberg, Namibia

Ex. Kevin Conroy collection

Sample size: 4.2 x 1.6 x 1.1 cm

 

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Terminated quartz crystal with phantom layers consisting of deep blue papagoite; the Messina mine which produced these nice specimens in the early 1990's was closed in 1992. The locality name was changed in 1994 to Musina, Limpopo province. 

Origin: No. 5 Shaft, Messina Mine, Messina, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa

Sample size: 3.5 x 7 cm

 

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Amethyst with fluid inclusion and phantoms

Origin: Taffil Kop, Gobobosebberg, Namibia

Sample size: 4.0 x 1.8 x 1.5 cm

 

  

Amethyst REVERSE-GROWN in quartz

Origin: Brandberg, Namibia
ex. Charlie Key Collection

Sample size: 5.5 x 2.25 x 1.75 cm

 

     

Quartz phantom

  

Quartz phantom

Origin: Saline County, Arkansas, U.S.A.

Sample size: 8 x 4 x 3 cm (top), 6 x 5 x 3.5 cm (bottom)

 

     

Smoky quartz with phantoms

Origin: Lincoln County, New Mexico, U.S.A.

Sample size: 6.5 x 1.5 x 1.2 cm

 

        

Smoky quartz phantom with chlorite inclusions

Origin: Garimpo Seminario, Joaquim Felicio, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Sample size: 15 x 8.5 x 7 cm

 

     

Quartz crystal with phantom (the inner crystal was coated with hematite before being engulfed, so instead of being subtle, it stands out like a sore thumb!).

Origin: Jinxiang, Hunan Province, China

Sample size: 8.8 x 3.5 x 3.4 cm

 

  

Quartz with white phantom

Origin: Saline County, Arkansas, U.S.A.

Sample size: 6.6 x 4.7 x 3.4 cm

 

        

        

Quartz with chlorite phantom

Origin: Maderanertal, Kanton Uri, Switzerland

Sample size: 3.5 x 1.7 x 1.5 cm

        

Phantom quartz with fluorite

Origin: Yaogangxian Mine, Chenzhou, Hunan, China

Sample size: 18 x 16 x 6.2 cm

 

  

  

Doubly terminated, water clear quartz with amethyst phantoms near one end. It also shows a slight smoky phantom in zones within the amethyst. A small 6mm light green crystal of prehnite is also present.

Origin: Brandberg, near Karibib, Namibia

Sample size: 7.5 x 3 x 2.5 cm

 

        

Quartz with smoky phantom

Origin: Lincoln Co., New Mexico

Samples size left 3 cm x 5 mm, middle left 3 and 2 cm x 5 mm, middle right 3.5 x 1 cm, right 3 x 1 cm

 

  

 

  

Deep purple amethyst with phantoms.

Origin: near Amatitlan, Guerrero, Mexico

Ex. June Zeitner collection

Sample size: 6 x 6 x 4 cm (top), 7 x 7 x 4 cm (bottom)

 

Photo courtesy of: 

Tom Loomis

Dakota Matrix Minerals

Smithsonite

     

Smithsonite phantom, ex. Sussman Collection

Origin: Tsumeb, Namibia

Sample size: 5 x 4 x 2 cm

 

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