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Bastnäsite-(Ce)
Prior
to a
couple of years ago, bastnaesite was something that was only found as crusts,
or at some localities as small crystals, such as those from France and
Germany. This find from the tribal areas of Pakistan, however. has completely
changed that.
This locality, and the bastnäsite from this mine, are featured in the latest
(May-June 2004) issue of the Mineralogical Record.
MBA1 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of
Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
$315
Click on thumbnails for larger images
5x 3x 2.5 cm. A 1.9x 1.5x .9 cm hexagonal partial crystal of
bastnaesite. If you look closely, you can see what appears to be
astrophyllite inclusions, typical of the bastnaesites form this area.
MBA2 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of
Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
$265
click thumbnails for larger images
4x 3.5x 3 cm. A 1.8x 1 cm rough, hexagonal crystal of bastnaesite on matrix, with
astrophylllite inclusions.
MBA3 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of
Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
$425
 
Click on thumbnails for larger images
2x 2 x 2 cm. A large, terminated single crystal
crystal of bastnaesite. This one is a little different form the others: it
isn't one of the hexagons. It is actually prismatic. I saw one of these
(about 1/3 the size of this one) recently sell for $500. There are
atrophyllite inclusions, typical of the bastanesites fromt he area.
HBA1 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of
Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
$365
Click on thumbnails for larger images
2.2x 1.8x .9 cm,
A large, complete hexagonal crystal of
bastnaesite. The front of the crystal is perfect, but there is a contact on the
reverse.
HBA2 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of
Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
$185
Click on thumbnails for larger images
2.4x 2 x .9 cm. A large, double terminated terminated
partial crystal of bastnaesite. If you look closely, you can see
astrophyllite inclusions, typical of the bastnaesites form this area.
HBA3 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of
Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
Click on thumbnails for larger images
1.4x .9 x .7 cm. A single,
sharp crystal
crystal of bastnaesite with good faces.
HBA4 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of
Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
$155
Click on thumbnails for larger images
2.3x 2.1 x 1.3 cm. A large partial crystal of
bastnaesite.
HBA5 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of
Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
Click on thumbnails for larger images
1.8x 1 x .8 cm. Not something you often see- a cluster of
4 terminated, and translucent
bastnaesite crystals. I have never seen another group of
bastnaesite crystals like it, from Trimouns, Pakistan, or anywhere else for
that matter. The white marks at the bottom are just mineral tack that
got stuck there when I was positioning it for the photo.
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