Home > Type Localities II – November 19 > MS1142 Nesquehonite (after Lansfordite)

Nesquehonite (after Lansfordite) - Sold


Nesquehonite is a hydrated carbonate of magnesium, here formed as a dehydration product of lansfordite, a higher hydrate of magnesium carbonate. Genth & Penfield (1890) named for Nesquehoning. Using optical and goniometric data, they believed the mineral to have orthorhombic symmetry, but later X-ray study showed the mineral to be monoclinic (Kinsolving et al. 1950). This is a friable mass of radiating crystals to 1.7 cm long, consisting of naturally dehydrated lansfordite, now nesquehonite. This specimen is quite fragile. And rare!

This specimen was part of the personal collection of Ralph Merrill, proprietor of the prolific mail order business Minerals Unlimited. Merrill obtained this specimen from the J.B. Nichols (1884-1951) collection. Merrill's collection card and label also ship with the specimen.