Foggite with Variscite

specimen number:
2354272

location:
Mount Deverell, Milgun Station, Meekatharra Shire, Western Australia, Australia

description:
Two veins of green massive variscite, grayish white veins of foggite present as well. Good example for the species. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Jack Nieburger.

The Mount Deverell variscite deposit, situated on Milgun Station approximately 180 kilometers north-northwest of Meekatharra in Western Australia, occurs within weathered sedimentary rock, primarily mudstone, near the Gascoyne River. Geologically, secondary phosphate minerals precipitated within open fractures, cavities, and veins during severe supergene weathering events as acidic groundwater dissolved surrounding rocks. Mining at the remote site operated as a small-scale open-cut venture focused chiefly on extracting gem-grade green variscite, though operations eventually ceased due to faulting and unprofitable overburden removal. Among the rare secondary calcium-aluminum phosphates found in association with the host rocks and variscite veins is foggite, which occurs at Mount Deverell as distinctive grey to white cryptocrystalline crusts and alteration rims, making the locality notable among mineral collectors for its unusual phosphate assemblage.

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