specimen
Details
ColorsGrey
SizeMiniature
Dimensions3.6 x 3.0 x 4.3 cm
Species
Description
The little known locality of the Dry Weather Road Locality is at Glenhope in the Tasman Region of South Island, New Zealand; in general terms, at the northern end of South Island, about 70 km south west of Nelson. The site is now reported void of specimen material and from the descriptions given, sounds only to have been a small locality, the mineralisation occurring in nodules contained within a sticky clay. I cannot find an explanation for the unusual locality name, but suspect it was unwise to go collecting there in wet weather, as it was most likely deep in tenacious mud! This small cabinet specimen is part of a layered section of a phosphate nodule, with an outer matrix of hardened clay minerals with an inner thick crust of massive, powder blue Vivianite over which micro-acicular needles of greenish-black Ferrostrunzite are scattered. Ferrostrunzite is a rare hydrated double iron phosphate.