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JOHN WHITE MINERAL COLLECTION OF RARE SPECIES John White lived in Seattle, Washington, and spent decades building an extensive collection of minerals including large suites of rarities and locality pieces. He seemed to want to try to get one of everything, even if a micro! And seeing the specimens, I think he came closer to success than most. The collection was sold to Bart Cannon, and at the Seattle Mineral Market Show I recently had the chance to go through several thousand of his specimens and select pieces that were unusual, rare, or otherwise interesting for this eclectic update. (NOTE: this is not the same illustrious collector also named "John White" , who worked as a curator at the Smithsonian and founded the Mineralogical Record )
JWHITE-01 - Torbernite - $ 750 Moctezuma, Mun. de Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico cabinet, 14.8 x 9.3 x 7.0 cm ex. John White
This is a rather large specimen of torbernite from MEXICO. One does not often see this material, let alone in cabinet sized plates smothered with hundreds of crystals. Rare material for the locality, I was most surprised to see this specimen in the collection as it is more richly covered than all others I have seen from there put together. Probably dates to the 1960s-early 70s
JWHITE-02 - Uranophane - $ 150 Madawaska (Faraday) Mine, Bancroft, Ontario, Canada small cabinet, 8.3 x 6.8 x 5.8 cm ex. John White
A hair-like cluster of acicular uranophane crystals, perched nicely in the middle of a matrix plate . This is classic, now rare, material from this old uranium mine in Bancroft area.
JWHITE-03 - Adamite - $ 100 Gold Hill, Gold Hill District, Tooele Co., Utah, USA miniature, 6 x 5.9 x 3.7 cm ex. John White
A single isolated, fat pinwheel of adamite, just over 1 cm, on contrasting limonitic matrix. Rare locality specimen, self-collected by Bart Cannon in the 1960s or 70s.
JWHITE-04 - Papagoite - $ 750 New Cornelia Mine, Ajo, Pima County, Arizona, USA miniature, 5.4 x 3.0 x 1.2 cm ex. John White
A VERY VERY rich specimen with both sides smothered in microcrystalline, deep blue papagoite. This is from the TYPE LOCALITY circa 1960s. (TYPE LOCALITY). It has an old Scott Williams company label with it. Not only is this significant for the rarity and locale, but it is a relatively large, and pretty, plate
JWHITE-05 - Calcite - $ 200 St Gotthard pass road tunnel, St Gotthard pass, Ticino, Switzerland miniature, 4.3 x 3.4 x 3.2 cm ex. John White
A briliantly lustrous, sharp single crystal of calcite with origins, according to its old label, from the tunnel project here in St. Gotthard pass. Rare locality specimen, and a good calcite crystal as well!
JWHITE-06 - Betafite - $ 450 Silver Crater Mine, near Bancroft, Ontario small cabinet, 5.7 x 3.5 x 2.8 cm ex. John White
A rather large, 3.5-cm-tall crystal from this classic locality known for the material. But specimens like this, and relatively (I use the word carefully here) attractive as a display piece, are uncommon. Old Wards Science label accompanies
JWHITE-07 - Native Iron - $ 200 SOLD Disko Island, Kitaa (West Greenland) Province, Greenland miniature, 4.9 x 2.9 x 1.5 cm ex. John White
Extremely rare mass of terrestrial native iron in rock; this is from remote Disko Island. It may not be pretty, but this is an important specimen for the species. Native iron is EXTREMELY RARE in igneous rocks, even though it forms the majority of the earth’s core. This is from the Type Locality, remote Disko Island, Greenland and is richly speckled with bright, metallic native iron in basalt matrix. This is old, rare, and seldom seen. Most native iron is extra-terrestrial. This one, however, is from some of the oldest crustal elements humans will ever access, and is a rare find to make it into the hands of specimen collections. (TYPE LOCALITY for a major native element , which i find amazing!!!). The old David New label is overwritten by White's notes that the piece is very rich (even the photos here show you the reddish blebs visible in the matrix).
JWHITE-08 - Woodwardite - $ 75 SOLD County Corke, Ireland miniature, 5.3 x 3.4 x 2.6 cm ex. John White
A rich solid mass of microcrystallized or noncrystallized woodwardite, on a quartz matrix. This is a hydrated copper sulfate.
JWHITE-09 - Skutterudite on native Bismuth - $ 400 Schneeberg, Saxony, Germany miniature, 5.4 x 3.6 x 3.6 cm ex. John White
A solid mass of very heavy, metallic ore is host for sharp crystals of smaltite, the cobalt-rich variety of skutterudite. Classic old material! This is a good display piece with crystals to 4mm including a sharp cube, atop. I have chosen not to clean this piece of its acucmulated patina, though it is of course easy to make it cleaner and bright-looking with chemicals. Note the attractive wavy growths of native bismuth, on which the crystals sit.
JWHITE-10 - Hulsite - $ 1200 SOLD Brooks Mountain, Seward Peninsula, Nome Borough, Alaska, USA miniature, 4.9 x 4.0 x 3.2 cm ex. John White
Hulsite is an extremely rare iron borate, reported back in the 1890s. I have seen only half a dozen specimens for sale in my life, of which this is the largest and richest by far. All I have seen came from the same , this locality, its TYPE LOCALITY. This piece is rich in massive an dmicrocrystalline material.
JWHITE-11 - Collinsite with Asphaltum - $ 100 Francois Lake, Omenica Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada miniature, 5.0 x 3.8 x 2.7 cm ex. John White
Collinsite from this locality, according to MINDAT, is said to have its orgiins in large deposits of guano, or bat poop. This is a classic find for the study of such origins, apparently. The collinsite here is in light brown, fibrous aggregates associated with fluorapatite on andesine. Also in association is "wurtzilite", now known as asphaltum, a natural hydrocarbon mineral more commonly referred to perhaps as "tarry goo."
JWHITE-12 - Vaterite - $ 250 SOLD San Vito quarry, San Vito, Monte Somma, Vesuvius, Naples, Italy small cabinet, 7.1 x 6.9 x 3.8 cm ex. John White
Vaterite, according to MINDAT, is a rare CaCO3 modification that is metastable below approx. 400°C. I always learned of it as a very rare crystal habit of calcite, but that is technically incorrect according to this entry, because its crystal habit is distinct from normal calcite. In other words, it is a polymorph of aragonite and calcite - same chemistry, different crystal form. I have only in my career seen vaterite from this locality in Italy, and all were older specimens. This is a particularly large and rich piece with sharp crystals to 2 cm. ex Mike Groben collection
JWHITE-13 - Ludlamite with Vivianite - $ 200 SOLD Blackbird Mine, Cobalt, Lemhi County, Idaho, USA small cabinet, 8.7 x 7.4 x 5.2 cm ex. John White
A fairly large, rich specimen with sharp crystals of ludlamite, nicely isolated on matrix and to 6 mm in size. A partial vivianite crystal is off to one side, and small smaltite (by xray) crystals accompany. Classic old material from the 1960s era of mining here! Purchased in 1968 towards the end of the productive years when the mine was open. I personally think these discrete ludlamite crystals characteristic of the locale, nicely spaced on matrix, are among the finest for the species.
JWHITE-14 - Gratonite - $ 400 SOLD Excelsior Mine, Cerro de Pasco, Pasco Department, Peru miniature, 3.5 x 1.8 x 3.0 cm ex. John White
Gratonite is a VERY RARE species in crystallized form, a lead arsenic sulfide. It is known at its absolute best from this remote locality, and from finds prior to 1950 in general. This piece features sharp, elongated crystals to 5mm leaping out from an ore matrix. It is aesthetic and richly crystallized. Gratonite is hard to obtain these days, and one of th emost desirable of rare sulfides in my opinion for its beauty and crystal habit. Purchased sept. 1967 from Scott Williams
JWHITE-15 - Uranophane on Calcite - $ 300 SOLD Jackpile Mine, Cibola County, New Mexico, USA small cabinet, 6.1 x 5.4 x 2.6 cm ex. John White
A rare example of beautifully crystallized, acicular uranophane from NEW MEXICO. At first glance, this looks like the Canadian material above. However, it is from a small and hard to get locality. Specimens are few, and I have seen only 3-4 for sale in the last decade
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