Colorado Rare Earth Minerals Options

[MikeS]

What time is it?.... IT'S XENOTIME!!!

While we were diggin on the claim on Monday, my longtime friend (and co-owner) was getting into a nice pocket of gemmy smokies when he found a odd crystal we had never seen before. We suspected Zircon because of the crystal shape and it felt very heavy. After a specific gravity test it appears to be Xenotime. It is also on the heavy side of Xenotime which would suggest that the Yttrium in it has been replaced with a heavier mineral/element like Uranium or Thorite. It may have mild radioactivity. If I get the chance to test it for radiation I'll post results. If your wondering how to pronounce Xenotime here is a link with audio: Oxford Dictionaries





The crew and I just before the rare find. (I'm on the left)

[Dave S.]

I would like to make an update about the Xenotime crystal at the top of this post. After getting an X-ray refraction test at the Geology Museum, even the "experts" are having a tough time to identify this crystal.

It has the crystal structure of a Xenotime-(Y). And has the elements needed for that. But it also contains Thorium and abnormally high amounts of Cerium, Gadolinium, and Neodymium. Causing the "experts" to think that it may have various mixes of Monazite in it, or that it is mostly Monazite. But they admitted that even with the chemical data, they can't say for sure.

But everyone agrees that it is a very rare, and an interesting find!

The crystal (whatever it really is) will be displayed at the Geology Museum for the next year (in the rare-earth or Pike's Peak mineral display) at the Colorado School of Mines.

I'm gonna go see it, and get some more pics of the crystal, and a pic of the chemical readout for ya'll.

[EMac]

I would like to make an update about the Xenotime crystal at the top of this post. After getting an X-ray refraction test at the Geology Museum, even the "experts" are having a tough time to identify this crystal.

It has the crystal structure of a Xenotime-(Y). And has the elements needed for that. But it also contains Thorium and abnormally high amounts of Cerium, Gadolinium, and Neodymium. Causing the "experts" to think that it may have various mixes of Monazite in it, or that it is mostly Monazite. But they admitted that even with the chemical data, they can't say for sure.

But everyone agrees that it is a very rare, and an interesting find!

The crystal (whatever it really is) will be displayed at the Geology Museum for the next year (in the rare-earth or Pike's Peak mineral display) at the Colorado School of Mines.

I'm gonna go see it, and get some more pics of the crystal, and a pic of the chemical readout for ya'll.

Very cool and congrats! That's an awesome museum. I was just there a couple weeks ago.