Cyprus is amazing 3_part 1

[ph06kg1]

Hello everybody,

I think now I 've gained the expertise of uploading pics properly, without any problems! In this article I will continue my previous discussion on the beautiful rocks and minerals anybody can find in the Troodos lowest hilly areas (where the mountainous curvature goes to zero), called Zeolites. Zeolite comes from the Greek word Ζεόλιθος, meaning "boiling rock", due to the water steam being released when heated. That is, zeolites are hydrous minerals and that's the main reason they are not very hard (normally <5 on the Mohs hardness scale).

Walking around Troodos, (e.g. starting from Kinousa village at Paphos area and going all around until Foukasa-Skouriotissa Mine in Nicosia) one meets the so called Lava rocks. Lava rocks often contain the precious ancient metal: copper, which ancient Cypriots knew exactly where to search and extract it (that's why all mines except the few ones spotted on the Troodos mountains are located around the hills with low altitude). Beyond copper, one can also spot very interesting minerals (Kinder-egg surprises), depending on the kind of host rock. For example, in Mathiatis area (Nicosia) Lower Pillow Lavas (LPL's) host the Zeolite minerals analcime (ανάλκιμον, meaning weak, without strength), gmelinite, Thomsonite, Natrolite, Calcite. In Mitsero-Agrokipia area (Nicosia) LPL's contain crystalline gypsum, azurite, malachite, chalcanthite (Χαλκανθίτης, meaning copper flower) and a better crystallization in Zeolites than Mathiatis crystals. In Marki area (near Tseri) Lavas are rich in Olivine, Peridot, Stilbite (Στιλβίτης, meaning shiny), Heulandite, Scolecite, because lavas there are very rich in the component ingredients of those crystals. In Paphos area (Diarizos and Xeros river valleys) one can meet the upper pillow Lavas (UPL's) that often contain Quartz and Calcite crystals, often mixed with Iron oxides (goethite mineral).


In the following photos, one can see the kind of Lavas, with the hosting crystals that can be found:


Marki area Lavas (Nicosia)

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Olivine-Celadonite rich lavas in the geological area of Marki, Nicosia. Some of the crystals that "grow" in these rocks are the following:

Stilbite-Heulandite

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Yellow Stilbite crystals with Heulandite. An example of the "How different species can live together in pure harmony!" It was found laying on the ground, waiting for someone to pick it up. Note that the Marki area along with Kinousa area (Paphos) are the only villages where these kind of crystals can be found. Sometines you can find them in veins, (a continuous line beneath the ground that contains clusters of crystals), other times in amygdules (filling empty spaces inside rocks). One must be careful to always look down, in order to see the yellow stuff on the surface of the ground!

Stilbite egg

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A rather rare form of Stilbite egg. Only one piece found, in a Stilbite vein.

Cubic Pyrite

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An extremely rare form of cubic Pyrite crystals, (for Cyprus) coming from Analiontas mine. Crystals are very shiny! Even though the best location for Pyrite is the Xyliatos mine (in Nicosia), this one is a marvelous piece. The most common form of Cypriot Pyrite is the pentagon (five angle) crystallization.

Avdhellero Lavas

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Lower Pillow Lavas of Avdellero (Larnaca). A famous geological site for a plethora of Zeolite minerals! (To be continued on Part 2)

[cyprusmax47]

The pyrite crystals I posted 1 1/2 years ago were all from Memi Mine (Xyliatos Mine) and I think they look partly similar to the ones you found at the Analiontas Mine (Klirou). Your are right that Xyliatos WAS the best location for Pyrites in the past. There were crystal boulder the size of a Smart car, but I am talking about the late 90's....and every year there is less to find there. I was visiting this place more than 20 times though.....I found one link were you can see one of the huge car size crystal boulder.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=885&p=9130&hilit=py ... tals#p9130

Max

[Jim B]

Years ago I worked on a place called Das Island down in the Gulf and the whole place was a mountain of pyrite crystals just sticking out of the sea. I know nothing about geology but some of the Civil Engineers said the island was the tip of an extinct volcano hence the crystals. Not sure if that was true or not but they were amazing to see.

Jim

[Dominic]

Keep them coming!

[2QuarterPints]

Really enjoying these posts, as I do with those from cyprusmax 47. There's something fascinating about crystals.

[ph06kg1]

The pyrite crystals I posted 1 1/2 years ago were all from Memi Mine (Xyliatos Mine) and I think they look partly similar to the ones you found at the Analiontas Mine (Klirou). Your are right that Xyliatos WAS the best location for Pyrites in the past. There were crystal boulder the size of a Smart car, but I am talking about the late 90's....and every year there is less to find there. I was visiting this place more than 20 times though.....I found one link were you can see one of the huge car size crystal boulder.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=885&p=9130&hilit=py ... tals#p9130

Max

Exactly Max! Indeed Memi Mine had the best pyrites, but they were all crystallized in the pentagonic system macroscopically. Only in Analiontas (not in Klirou, but near Kampia or Tseri villages) I found the cubic crystals! But their quality was not as good as in Memi case unfotunately.. Still, there are huge boulders in Memi!!!

[ph06kg1]

Keep them coming!

Thanks Dominic!! I am so happy you appreciate this! In Cyprus, it is extremely rare to find anyone who has the smallest amount of interest in rocks to tell you the truth!!!!

[ph06kg1]

Really enjoying these posts, as I do with those from cyprusmax 47. There's something fascinating about crystals.

Thanks!! Honestly, Max gave me the crystal bug through his posts here, although I never met him

[ph06kg1]

Years ago I worked on a place called Das Island down in the Gulf and the whole place was a mountain of pyrite crystals just sticking out of the sea. I know nothing about geology but some of the Civil Engineers said the island was the tip of an extinct volcano hence the crystals. Not sure if that was true or not but they were amazing to see.

Jim

Hi jim, yes, pretty possible that would be a volcano, since pyrite is a sulphide iron, and sulphides are produced or have been produced by volcanos or underground volcanic activities. We have the similar effect of gypsum in Cyprus, especially in Paphos!!