Microcline with Albite

specimen number:
2063037

location:
Crystal Park, Teller Co., Colorado, USA

description:
An attractive example of what many call amazonite, this a bluish green variety of microcline. The specimen consists of numerous bluish green lustrous crystals measuring to 3.5 cm in height in a cluster with little attached granite matrix on the base. A grouping of bladed white albite crystals over 3.0 cm in diameter is set in the center of the specimen. This is in good condition. To my knowledge there are no repairs on this piece, like most from this area. The fractures seen are natural and stable. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark. A second collection label from the Tlush collection is present as well.

Crystal Park, located on the eastern slope of Cameron Cone near Manitou Springs in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado, is underlain primarily by coarse-grained Pikes Peak Granite formed over a billion years ago. The area features numerous small, irregular pegmatite dikes and miarolitic cavities that formed as residual magmatic fluids cooled and crystallized within the surrounding plutonic rocks. Historically, these pegmatites have served as a popular and long-standing mineral-collecting locality since the late 19th century, drawing prospectors and hobbyists who dig through weathered granitic soil and small prospect pits to extract prized gemstone specimens like smoky quartz, microcline feldspar variety amazonite, and notably higher amounts of topaz compared to other regional districts.

Amazonite, a vibrant green to bluish-green variety of microcline feldspar, is one of the most iconic minerals found in the Pikes Peak region. In these pegmatites and vugs, its distinctive color comes from trace amounts of lead and structural water within the crystal lattice, making highly saturated specimens from this area prized collectibles for mineral enthusiasts.

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