Paphos Life

Hello to all,

today i will continue the previous discussion on the Zeolite crystals found in all around Troodos mountains, in what known as Lower Pillow Lavas. Molten magma erupting from the Earth's mantle rich in Silicon and Aluminum flows on the surface as Lava which, when cooled down, it may form very interesting and beautiful minerals, the Zeolite crystals. Aluminum and Silicon are two of the most abundant chemical elements on the Earth's crust, with a huge variety of applications; Aluminium is used in construction, while, Silicon in Photovoltaics (a semiconductor, absorbs photons and releases electrons) when ofcourse isolated from its well known mineral form: Quartz. Some examples of Zeolites we do have in Cyprus include Analcime, Stilbite, Heulandite, Mordenite, Gmelinite, Natrolite, Thompsonite, Scolecite, Calcite, Quartz etc. Some of this crystals can be seen below. Enjoy!

Gmelinite crystals on Mordenite hairs
In this special case of "family of crystals" Gmelinite (orange) may grow on Mordenite, which has a hair-like crystal structure. It is one of the rare times we can actually see fully hexagonal gmelinites (gmelinite crystallizes macroskopically as a hexagonal bi-pyramid)! Normally, gmelinite is found half-hexagon, or broken, or with an incomplete geometrical shape. Some of the above gmelinites are only attached to a single Mordenite hair, which is ultra thin, and unfortunately, break easily.

Gmelinite with analcime
Gmelinite, Mordenite and Calcite neighborhood
A family of different crystals! (Black crystals are calcite)

Double-terminated "bow-tie" Stilbite crystal
This is one of my favorite, and a rare form of double-termination on Stilbite group. The lower part was unfortunately broken, and i had to put them together with an "instant-glue".


A nice stilbite cluster, with an intense yellow colour

Aluminoceladonite crystals
Thank you and have a nice Sunday!

nice findings, thank you for sharing. Is it possible for you to describe in detail my photos from a blog last year where I was not able to tell which type of crystals I found. I knew only that they belong to the gypsum family, but perhaps they are also Zeolite crystals.....? I am talking about page 2-4! It would be great.

https://www.paphoslife.com/blog/konia_crystals/2

Max

All I get is a lot of no entry signs instead of images.

Me too!


Shane

It is working on my computer, just checked it....

Max

All the crystal pics are there for me as well

#MeToo

Happy in Cyprus wrote: ↑Sun Oct 28, 2018 6:13 pm Absolutely amazing pics, I'm in awe! Thank you for sharing. Nature (in all it's forms) is too remarakable for words.

You are very welcome, my pleasure! It is amazing indeed...

cyprusmax47 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 28, 2018 6:53 pm nice findings, thank you for sharing. Is it possible for you to describe in detail my photos from a blog last year where I was not able to tell which type of crystals I found. I knew only that they belong to the gypsum family, but perhaps they are also Zeolite crystals.....? I am talking about page 2-4! It would be great.

https://www.paphoslife.com/blog/konia_crystals/2

Max

Hi Max, ofcourse, it would be a pleasure for me to try and identify your crystals! I feel like i owe you, because your photos were one of the reasons to start studying and collecting minerals you know

Thank you for your kind words!

Hi George, nice to hear from you that my previous posts concerning crystals were the reason for you to start studying and collecting minerals... by the way, I know more people which got the bug When you start that hobby you can't stop collecting...

Max

cyprusmax47 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:12 pm Hi George, nice to hear from you that my previous posts concerning crystals were the reason for you to start studying and collecting minerals... by the way, I know more people which got the bug When you start that hobby you can't stop collecting...

Max

Well that's exactly the case Max! I can't remember how many times i was hiding my pc screen at work (my boss was around) showing the exceptional crystals from Konia area!! And reading your writings and admiring your beautiful crystal pics! There wasnt much info on the internet, so your writtings were quite valuable.

I 've seen your post (already seen it a hundred times ofcourse!) and i believe that what you found are amazing Zeolite crystals. Although Gypsum (sulphate calcium) also forms needle-like crystals, they rarely form in volcanic rocks (they prefer limestones or bulky deposits) At least i only met it in Mitsero mine! Barite does (a sluphate barium) on the other hand, like in your last photo (a wow barite!). The needle crystals are natrolite, with analcime (transparent trapezohedron crystals). The white bulky crustals are calcite. To be sure, you can do a hydrochloric acid test, if it fizzes, its calcite, if not, then it is a sulphate. But 90 percent its calcite (scalenohedral calcite).

Hope that helped Max!

Regards, George

Still just no entry signs.

So what do you think is the cause of the no entry signs, when others can see the pictures of the crystals ?

I think the images are no longer available to display, and that the people who can still see them are seeing cached images stored on their local machine.

The simple way to test this would be to press CTRL-F5 while viewing the screen, if you can see the pictures. This will clear the page cache and reload the images. If you now get no entry signs, then it means I am right.

Do bear in mind that if you do this and I am right, then you will no longer be able to see the pics either.

Dominic wrote: ↑Mon Oct 29, 2018 7:58 am I think the images are no longer available to display, and that the people who can still see them are seeing cached images stored on their local machine.

The simple way to test this would be to press CTRL-F5 while viewing the screen, if you can see the pictures. This will clear the page cache and reload the images. If you now get no entry signs, then it means I am right.

Do bear in mind that if you do this and I am right, then you will no longer be able to see the pics either.

I can just tell that my link was copied and pasted from the PL blog section....

Max

ph06kg1 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:48 pm

cyprusmax47 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:12 pm Hi George, nice to hear from you that my previous posts concerning crystals were the reason for you to start studying and collecting minerals... by the way, I know more people which got the bug When you start that hobby you can't stop collecting...

Max

Well that's exactly the case Max! I can't remember how many times i was hiding my pc screen at work (my boss was around) showing the exceptional crystals from Konia area!! And reading your writings and admiring your beautiful crystal pics! There wasnt much info on the internet, so your writtings were quite valuable.

I 've seen your post (already seen it a hundred times ofcourse!) and i believe that what you found are amazing Zeolite crystals. Although Gypsum (sulphate calcium) also forms needle-like crystals, they rarely form in volcanic rocks (they prefer limestones or bulky deposits) At least i only met it in Mitsero mine! Barite does (a sluphate barium) on the other hand, like in your last photo (a wow barite!). The needle crystals are natrolite, with analcime (transparent trapezohedron crystals). The white bulky crustals are calcite. To be sure, you can do a hydrochloric acid test, if it fizzes, its calcite, if not, then it is a sulphate. But 90 percent its calcite (scalenohedral calcite).

Hope that helped Max!

Regards, George

I am very pleased George, reading your ever so friendly post. Yes, your descriptions are very helpful and interesting. All the pics except the ones with the Barite were findings from vulcanic area and exactly were the planned highway is coming through. I bet after they finished the road work there will be nothing left. Barite I found quite a lot right on the road from Lysos to Stavros Psokas.

Again, Thank you very much

Max

Can't see any pictures

LouiseCastricum wrote: ↑Mon Oct 29, 2018 9:55 am Can't see any pictures

Go in the blog section Louise and try to open my guest blog from 19.4.17... and led me know please if it works for you

Max

I meant that I cannot see the pictures posted by ph06kg1

Dominic wrote: ↑Mon Oct 29, 2018 7:58 am I think the images are no longer available to display, and that the people who can still see them are seeing cached images stored on their local machine.

The simple way to test this would be to press CTRL-F5 while viewing the screen, if you can see the pictures. This will clear the page cache and reload the images. If you now get no entry signs, then it means I am right.

Do bear in mind that if you do this and I am right, then you will no longer be able to see the pics either.

Thanks Dominic i shall check it! To me it seems normal.

Regards,
George