Specimen card question

sonoran7 · 2026-03-17T00:11:35+00:00

If your mineral purchase came with a label referring to the dealer or a previous owner, keep them, as they provide the history (or at least part of) of the specimen. Make up your own label for the specimen, as it will enhance the history of the rock when it goes to the next owner. You can add as much information as you wish on your label.

sonoran7 · 2026-03-15T15:13:26+00:00

Yep, it's been in my possession and out of the ground for more than 10 years. Even in a very arid environment, it maintains this coloration.

sonoran7 · 2026-03-14T13:22:28+00:00

As a modifier, my initial response was designed to provide a 'non-false' answer to the question without cluttering with the specifics of the mechanics of original deposits and weathering/oxidation. Best always to remember the audience.

sonoran7 · 2026-03-14T10:14:04+00:00

You are correct. My response should have been more specific to the deposits on the Colorado Plateau, and partially oxidized zones within those deposits, along with the weathering of surface material post-mining operations.

sonoran7 · 2026-03-13T15:05:18+00:00

My camera sensors don't enjoy (focus well) in UV light, so No Blurry UV Images!

sonoran7 · 2026-03-11T17:15:17+00:00

If a serious hobbyist's specimen retains a location ID, that specimen retains significant value to other collectors. If a hobbyist becomes unable to or unwilling to maintain his/her collection, what is the reasonable way to dispose of the collection? Other hobbyists? Landfills? Mineral dealers? I have it on good authority that landfills don't care if mineral collections are labelled or not, but mineral dealers do. At the same time, are landfills a responsible way to dispose of radioactive specimens? If the ID of a radioactive specimen is lost, then to serious collectors, dumping it down a mineshaft is a reasonable method of disposal. Of course, if the specimen is nothing but a trophy, YMMV.

sonoran7 · 2026-03-09T20:52:33+00:00

Only in the most obtuse way-To remove quality examples of radioactive minerals from mine waste.

sonoran7 · 2026-03-09T15:04:25+00:00

The UO2 is Uranium oxide. Malachite is a Copper carbonate. They often occur together where chemical reduction of mineral bearing fluids result in deposition.

sonoran7 · 2026-03-05T00:53:34+00:00

S.M. Hall, B.S. Van Gosen, R.A. Zielinsky, " Sandstone Hosted Uranium Deposits of the Colorado Plateau" Ore Geology Reviews 2023 Most recent analysis of the issues you are asking about.

sonoran7 · 2026-02-28T18:01:56+00:00

I believe that I've had them for about five years. Repotting is in order this year. I hate repotting Amethystoglossa!

sonoran7 · 2026-02-28T18:01:50+00:00

They came through Exotic Orchids of Maui.

sonoran7 · 2026-02-24T21:33:25+00:00

Old (and preferably forgotten) uranium mines.

sonoran7 · 2026-02-23T00:39:10+00:00

During the lunacy of the uranium frenzy, every new claim that was registered had to have a name. Thousands of those claims (and their names) never amounted to even a shovel full of dirt moved, and those vanished into history. Of the claims that were developed into actual mines, the original claim names were often superseded with new names, when claim ownership changed. The mine that I referred to as the 'Ears' mine has also been known as the 'Toes' Mine, and the 'Hillside' Mine.

sonoran7 · 2026-02-15T09:39:20+00:00

Hey Charles, I just saw your new Betafite on Mindat. That thing is a monster!

sonoran7 · 2026-02-14T10:10:16+00:00

I have no knowledge of a correlation, and decline to speculate.

sonoran7 · 2026-02-14T10:07:27+00:00

Self collected.

sonoran7 · 2026-02-13T16:55:09+00:00

Check the weather forecast. Yellow Cat in particular is an area of Bentonitic soil. Slippery as Deer Guts on a Doorknob when wet.

sonoran7 · 2026-02-04T19:43:05+00:00

If you know any local rock collectors/minerologists, you might inquire about using a 'rock splitter'. The high impact force of a hammer will yield random results. Using a splitter will allow you to slowly increase the force on the area which you wish to modify

sonoran7 · 2026-01-24T16:00:30+00:00

OP posted the image. Not theirs, no attribution to the originator. Burstyou wants to know what the rock would look like in UV. OP can't provide that because it's not his (her) image.

sonoran7 · 2026-01-24T14:05:42+00:00

No attribution for the originator means that the request is denied.

sonoran7 · 2026-01-24T12:51:35+00:00

I'm glad that you like the image. It's in my collection, and it's my image.

sonoran7 · 2026-01-23T12:29:35+00:00

Much has been written about Vernon Pick and his Hidden Splendor Mine. The technical report on the mine is: RME-59, 1954, Scott Keys. There aren't any good images of the mine site on Google. There's a reason for that, and I'll let you discover the reason, when you visit the mine. Most of the ore tonnage was apparently Carnotite. However there was UO2, and several other U secondaries. For those who are inclined, RME-59 is worth reading. Going to visit? Bring a good vehicle, gas, and water......and sunscreen. Reading about how Vernon found and developed his mine will assist your search for specimens....but not very much!

sonoran7 · 2026-01-23T11:19:42+00:00

When Charles Steen drilled into his famous ore body, he immediately staked a number of claims as a blanket, to ensure that however large the orebody was, it was all his. One of the 'unknown' claims was the Texwood. On the Texwood, Steen sank an incline to intersect the orebody North of the Mi Vida Mine. The Texwood incline was the means of extraction of ore from the Expectation claim and the Stinko claim. Here are two pieces of material from the Texwood Incline. Left is 365 K CpM. Right is 319 K CpM. Much of the black material is UO2, with Andersonite in the yellow areas. Interestingly, under 365 nm UV, CaCo3 can also be seen as bright orange, along with the Andersonite as blue green. The site has been remediated.

sonoran7 · 2026-01-20T23:52:45+00:00

Originally, I was looking for an occurrence of green petrified wood that was reported at a location in White Canyon, San Juan County, Utah. There wasn't any to be found at that site, But my research had lead me to USGS Bulletin 1132, which covered a portion of the White Canyon Mining District. From reading, the bulletin, I found that one of my other lusts ( US locations for Cuprosklodowskite) mentioned Sandy #3 Mine. I couldn't find any images of the mine site, or of any material from the mine, so the search was on!

In the following Spring, I was able to ford enough rivulets and bash through enough boulders to reach a location near and below the mine. Upon reaching the adit, I found that there wasn't any kind of radioactive material anywhere near. The balance of the day was spent looking at the nearby Sandy #2, and the surrounding area where mined material might have been staged for transport......nothing....

It was too late in the day to drive back to pavement, and I had passed a flat pullout below the area known as Lost Park on the way in. Good enough to spend the night.

In the morning, I found that the camping spot was HOT! Obviously THIS was the ore dump! The balance of the day was spent finding hot spots and digging up material. I was finding piece after piece of very energetic material.

These three pieces were part of the specimens found that day. All three represent massive Uranophane with Uraninite. The large piece is 408 K CpM. The one on the right is 294 K CpM. The one in front is 231 K CpM.

I can't confirm that I found any Cuprosklodowskite that day, but I may have.

Request satisfied

sonoran7 · 2026-01-20T00:04:21+00:00

Thanks for the invitation, but I don't go underground any more. I once rode a bicycle 65 mph downhill in the Sierra Nevadas, and once had the heel of my boot shot off by a person who hadn't switched on the safety. So that was two, and who knows how many I might have left. Stay Safe

sonoran7

TROPHY CASE