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Magnesioaubertite & Pickeringite

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FDW65227

Magnesioaubertite & Pickeringite

Alum Grotto
Type Locality

Description Tabs

Description
Locality: 
Vulcano Island, Messina Province, Sicily, Italy
Size Range: 
Thumbnail (1-3cm)
Size: 
2.2 × 1.7 × 1.5 cm
Description

Mediterranean-sea-blue magnesioaubertite is embedded in pickeringite-needles, and protected by them.

Magnesioaubertite is a very rare mineral found first in the Alum grotto in the Faraglione Ranni Hill as is this piece.

Faraglione Ranni hill is the hill at the harbour of Vulcano island. When the road was built from the harbour to the little town, the hill was cut in two. The part of the hill that has the Alum grotto was partly saved from demolition. The Alum grotto was still accessable in 2010, but very instable.

To get the specimens we needed to work 3 meters up in the ceiling of the cave. I doubt the cave will stand there for much longer the pillars are very instable and kept together with rusting pieces of metal

(AG001)

Mineral Data
What's on the rock

Magnesioaubertite

Formula: 
(Mg,Cu)Al(SO4)2Cl·14H2O
Strunz: 
7.DB.05
Hardness: 
2.0 - 3.0
Type Locality: 
Faraglione Ranni, Porto Levante, Vulcano Island, Lipari, Eolie Islands (Aeolian Islands), Messina Province, Sicily, Italy

Pickeringite

Formula: 
MgAl2(SO4)4·22H2O
Strunz: 
7.CB.85
Hardness: 
1.5 - 2.0
Type Locality: 
Cerros Pintados ("Cerro Pintados"), Pampa del Tamarugal, El Tamarugal Province, Tarapacá Region, Chile...
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