Pseudobrookite

specimen number:
2062650

location:
Topaz Mtn., Juab Co., Utah, USA

description:
A fine spray of lustrous metallic needlelike pseudobrookite crystals 1.0 cm in height coming off of a rhyolite matrix with micro crystals of sparkling quartz. In good condition.

Topaz Mountain in Juab County, Utah, is a famous mineral collecting locality nestled in the Thomas Range, formed by a complex history of mid-Tertiary volcanic activity that produced rhyolitic lava flows and tuffs rich in fluorine and other volatiles. Millions of years ago, hot vapors moved through gas cavities and fractures within these rhyolite layers, depositing a variety of well-formed minerals as the gases cooled and interacted with the host rock. Among the notable mineral specimens discovered in these cavities is pseudobrookite, an iron titanium oxide that typically forms striking, dark brown to black, tabular crystals or bladed aggregates perched directly on the walls of the rock cavities alongside quartz and topaz.

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