This gallery features minerals from Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. Mineralogist Jaroslav Hyrsl debuted a new find of pearceite crystals from Peru at the Tucson 2008 show; two pieces are available here. There is a fine example of goudeyite-(Y) from a new locality in Chile. There are many interesting specimens from Brazil from the Jo Urban species collection; of particular note is the botryoidal gibbsite specimen and the carbonate hydroxylapatite specimen with glassy crystals. Enjoy!

On special occasions, mineralspecies.com has the opportunity to obtain specimens of the most desirable of Tsumeb minerals. In this case, we have secured three fine specimens of keyite from Tsumeb, Namibia. The mineral name keyite honors Charlie Key. For more information on keyite, please see:

Embrey, P.G., Fejer, E.E., Clark, A.M. (1977) Keyite: a new mineral from Tsumeb. Mineralogical Record, 8(3), 87-90.

Gillardite (formerly IMA 2006-041) is a new mineral species from the 132 North deposit, Widgiemooltha, Western Australia. Gillardite has the idealized formula of Cu₃NiCl₂(OH)₆, corresponding to a nickel substituted analog of paratacamite. Originally, Nickel et al. (1994) described this material) as a nickel bearing paratacamite. Later determinations of the crystal structures of paratacamite-like phases show that the Ni occupies a specific place in the crystal structure, thus qualifying this mineral as a new specie (Colchester et al. 2007).

Nickel, E.H., Clout, J.F.M., and Gartrell, B.J. (1994) Secondary nickel minerals from Widgiemooltha, Western Australia. Mineralogical Record, 25, 283-291,302.

Colchester, D.M., Leverett, P., Clissold, M.E., Williams, P.A., Hibbs, D.E., and Nickel, E.H. (2007) Gillardite, Cu₃NiCl₂(OH)₆, a new mineral from the 132 North deposit, Widgiemooltha, Western Australia. Australian Journal of Mineralogy, 13, 15-18.

Sampleite is a rare hydrated sodium calcium copper phosphate mineral, originally described from Chuquicamata, Chile. In 2003, a new discovery at Northparkes, New South Wales, furnished world-class specimens. These are good examples from the find, showing well-formed blue microcrystals; some with associated atacamite or libethenite. For more information on this occurrence, please consult:



McLean, A.L., Chapman, J., Sharpe, J.L. and Williams, P.A. (2004) The mineralogy of the oxidised zone of the E26 orebody, Northparkes, New South Wales, Australia. Australian Journal of Mineralogy, 10, part 2, 53--57.