Missing Newsletters Added…

Some of the missing newsletters have now been added. These are numbers 95, 101, 102, 103 and 104. You can find them in the Newsletter Archive. If anyone has a copy and the time and energy to scan the remaining missing ones and send them to me, that would be most appreciated. We are looking for numbers 72, 73, 74, 75, 79, 80, 81, 82 and 83.

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National Micromount Reference Collection Selected Specimen #104

Number 104 in the National Micromount Reference Collection is a rosasite specimen from Roughton Gill, Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria. The specimen was donated by T. Wolloxall. Notes in the catalogue state “If this is rosasite, it is unusually green. However since there are also colourless crystals of hemimorphite, this is probably correct. Cooper and Stanley, Minerals of the English Lake District,p.124.”

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Linarite from the UK

A personal account by Steve Rust. Included in Newsletter 76. All photos are by Steve Rust. Featured image: Linarite from the Eaglebrook mine, Wales. Many collectors have fine micro examples of linarite in their collections, from a number of UK and world locations. It is easy to understand why. Who would not like to have in their collection a fine azure blue bladed radial micro-crystal group of linarite, contrasted against a background of white quartz. The known history of linarite has been traced back to at least the early 19th century. It would appear that James Sowerby was the first to publish a picture of linarite in his book of 1809, although he called it ‘Crystallized Blue Carbonate of Copper’. It would appear that the sulphate content of linarite was not recognized. It was not until 1839 that the species was given the name linarite by Professor Ernst Friedrich Glocker, from it’s type location at Linares, Jaen province, Andalusia, Spain. Linarite PbCu2+ (SO4)(OH)2 is usually found as thin bladed monoclinic crystals with little development of the prism faces; thick chunky crystals are also to be found. Colour is from light to deep azure blue. It usually occurs in lead and copper deposits, while this is true it is a very general statement. Linarite can also be found in many other ore deposits, which might have only small amounts of primary lead and copper minerals, from which linarite can form. In the United Kingdom some of the best macro examples of […]

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The British Micromount Society

The British Micromount Society is a national organisation, founded in 1981. The aims of the Society are to promote contact between micromounters in the UK and encourage the development of micromounting as a branch of mineralogy through the publication of a regular newsletter, occasional field meetings and symposia. The Society publishes the British Directory of Micromounters – now in its 10th Edition, and maintains a National Reference Collection of Micromounts, available for postal loan to members. The Society has also developed a range of Occasional Papers on topics of interest to amateur mineralogists. There are local groups in Norfolk, Sussex, West Midlands, Cornwall, The North West Group in Bolton, and the South East Group in London. These meet at regular intervals and all members are welcome to attend any of the branches. Details in the About link.

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New Home

The British Micromount Society website has a new home… Due to constraints with the Homestead hosting, a decision was made to build a new website. Steve Sorrell is the new webmaster and is hosting the site as a subdomain of his mineralcollective.com site.

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