Lorano quarries (Lorano I Quarry; Lorano II Quarry; Lorano Quarry), Torano quarrying basin, Carrara, Massa-Carrara Province, Tuscany, Italyi

Regional Level Types
Lorano quarries (Lorano I Quarry; Lorano II Quarry; Lorano Quarry)	Group of Quarries
Torano quarrying basin	Basin
Carrara	Commune
Massa-Carrara Province	Province
Tuscany	Region
Italy	Country

Lorano quarries (Lorano I Quarry; Lorano II Quarry; Lorano Quarry), Torano quarrying basin, Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy

Description: A greenish, elongated, pseudoprismatic crystal, attaining ca. 1 mm in length, was classified as epidote by D'Achiardi (1906). XRD analyses performed by Paolo Orlandi on the same crystal have shown that it is sphalerite with an unusual habit (Franzini et al., 1982).

Description: Described by Orlandi et al. (1980) as lithiophorite, in the form of dark brown earthy globules in association with quartz and dolomite. Chemical analyses showed the presence of abundant Mn and traces of Zi, Ni, Cu, and Co. According to Biagioni et al. (2019), it is unlikely that this mineral is lithiophorite, due to the absence of Al. It is more correctly ascribable to an uncharachterised manganese oxide (see manganese oxides).

Description: Described as lithiophorite by Orlandi et al. (1980), in the form of dark brown earthy globules in association with quartz and dolomite. Chemical analyses showed the presence of abundant Mn and traces of Zi, Ni, Cu, and Co. According to Biagioni et al. (2019), it is unlikely that this mineral is lithiophorite, due to the absence of Al. Consequently, it is more correctly ascribable to an uncharachterised manganese oxide.

Description: The correct locality is Lorano Basso (Bicchieri) quarry.

Description: The correct locality is Lorano Basso (Bicchieri) quarry.

Habit: Acicular aggregates

Colour: White

Description: This species is not so common in the Carrara marble district. Usually aggregates reach 1-1.5 mm in size and they can be found in veins filled with crystallized calcite (see pictured specimens).

Description: A metallic crystal of 4.23 mm, purchased at Lorano, was studied by Giovanni D'Achiardi in 1911. On the basis of the crystallographic data and physical properties, D'Achiardi was not able to identify this mineral. In his opinion, the mineral could be a new species and the only known mineral similar to it was galena (D'Achiardi, 1911 a). Some months later, D'Achiardi published the results of the qualitative chemical analysis, showing that the unknown mineral contains Cu and S, but not Pb, As, Sb, or Bi (D'Achiardi, 1911 b). Consequently, it could not be galena and it did not correspond to any Cu sulfide owing to its crystal habit and the other physical properties. This specimen remained unclassified and was kept in the mineralogical collection of the Pisa University until the 1970s, when Paolo Orlandi found it, accompained by the label "New copper mineral?". Through X-ray diffraction, Orlandi (1974 b) was able to determine the unit-cell parameter; furthermore, he collected new chemical data, indicating the presence of Cu, V, and S. The unknown copper sulfide of Giovanni D'Achiardi was actually sulvanite.