The Franklin Mine is co-type locality for zincite and type locality for leucophoenicite. Zincite was very common here, but apart from slag localities, it is almost unknown from anywhere else. Leucophoenicite was much less common, but locally abundant at Franklin. It is know from a few other localities, but only the Harstigen Mine has a representative on Mindat. Crystals of both species are very rare even from Franklin. The Buckwheat Pit of the Franklin Mine is the type locality for chlorophoenicite. I can’t tell if this specimen is from the Buckwheat pit, but it is certainly from the Franklin Mine. Chlorophoenicite is known only from here and the nearby Sterling Mine. It is uncommon but not rare here.
The specimen features several small, but well formed crystals of leucophoenicite, a few small zincite pyramids and chlorophoenicite sprays plus some very small crystals of pyrochroite. (These last two minerals are just minor accessories.) The leucophoenicite has a beautiful pinkish-lilac color. Crystals are rarely offered. But you will need 15-40X to view the various types of crystals.
The first photo (FOV 3.2 x 2.4 mm) shows several well formed leucophoenicite crystals. The brightly lit crystal just below the center of the photo is 0.6 mm long. Next to it, in the lower right corner is a hemimorphic zincite pyramid a bit < 1 mm tall. (In the photo, the zincite crystal is partly obscured by another leucophoenicite crystal. The pyramidal shape will be clearer when viewed with a binocular scope – but you will need about 20-40X.) The black stuff to the left of the leucophoenicite is pyrochroite in the form of very tiny (pseudo)cubic crystals. Near the center of the photo is a spray of tiny colorless chlorophoenicite crystals, the largest being ca 1/4 mm. You will need 50-60X to see these clearly.
A larger (ca 0.5 mm) chlorophoenicite spray is visible in the upper left corner of next photo (FOV 2.2 x 3.0 mm) which also shows more well-formed leucophoenicite crystals to about 0.8 mm.
The third photo (FOV 1.8 x 1.4 mm) is a close-up of one of the larger (1.0 mm) leucophoenicite crystals. Below it are three chlorophoenicite sprays. The one on the right spans 0.5 mm top to bottom.
The fourth (FOV 3.5 x 2.1 mm) photo shows two more of the larger leucophoenicite crystals, the largest one being 1.3 mm. These have a relatively darker, purplish, color.
The fifth photo (FOV 2.0 x 2.7 mm) shows another zincite xl about 1 mm on edge. The crystal is partly embedded and there is a ding at the tip of the pyramid.
The black stuff in the sixth photo (FOV 1.1 x 0.9 mm) is pyrochroite. The crystals are very small and only a few are well formed. The best ones are at top left. The two small pseudo-cubic crystals on top are 0.05 mm on edge. The larger one below them is about 0.1 mm.
In the full-view photo, most of the leucophoenicite crystals are in the cavity at top left.
The last photo (FOV ca X.Y cm) shows a close-up of this cavity.
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