Tamessite (w. calcite)

calcite

A group of colourless, gemmy, nail-head calcite crystals (to 6 mm) encrusted by later (?) off-white to very pale pink saccharoidal calcite hosts composite pale yellow talmessite crystals (to 10 mm; Exhibit 2).

Formerly in the Bill Pinch Collection, Pinch acquired this specimen from Dave Bunk, whose label records that it belonged previously to Don Belsher. An anonymous label carries a handwritten note recording that the talmessite was identified by Gene Foord in 1984. Pinch’s label notes that the specimen has subsequently been analysed by Raman spectroscopy and used to determine unit cell prameters for talmessite; it is included in the RRUFF database as R080007; https://rruff.info/talmessite/display=default/R080007; accessed June 2025.

The location in the mine is not recorded.