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Bastnäsite-(Ce)
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Prior to a couple of years ago, bastnaesite was something that was only found as crusts, or at some localities as small crystals, such as those from France and Germany. This find from the tribal areas of Pakistan, however. has completely changed that.
This locality, and the bastnäsite from this mine, are featured in the latest (May-June 2004) issue of the Mineralogical Record.
MBA1 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
$315
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5x 3x 2.5 cm. A 1.9x 1.5x .9 cm hexagonal partial crystal of
bastnaesite. If you look closely, you can see what appears to be
astrophyllite inclusions, typical of the bastnaesites form this area.
MBA2 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
$265
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4x 3.5x 3 cm. A 1.8x 1 cm rough, hexagonal crystal of bastnaesite on matrix, with astrophylllite inclusions.
MBA3 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
$425
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2x 2 x 2 cm. A large, terminated single crystal crystal of bastnaesite. This one is a little different form the others: it isn't one of the hexagons. It is actually prismatic. I saw one of these (about 1/3 the size of this one) recently sell for $500. There are atrophyllite inclusions, typical of the bastanesites fromt he area.
HBA1 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
$325
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2.2x 1.8x .9 cm, A large, complete hexagonal crystal of bastnaesite. The front of the crystal is perfect, but there is a contact on the reverse.
HBA2 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
$185
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2.4x 2 x .9 cm. A large, double terminated terminated partial crystal of bastnaesite. If you look closely, you can see astrophyllite inclusions, typical of the bastnaesites form this area.
HBA3 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
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1.4x .9 x .7 cm. A single, sharp crystal crystal of bastnaesite with good faces.
HBA4 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
$155
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2.3x 2.1 x 1.3 cm. A large partial crystal of bastnaesite.
HBA5 Bastnäsite
Zagi Mountain, 5 km S.E. of Warsak Dam, Near Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan
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1.8x 1 x .8 cm. Not something you often see- a cluster of
4 terminated, and translucent
bastnaesite crystals. I have never seen another group of
bastnaesite crystals like it, from Trimouns, Pakistan, or anywhere else for
that matter. The white marks at the bottom are just mineral tack that
got stuck there when I was positioning it for the photo.