Vote for your favorite mineral in #MinCup26! - Monazite-(Ce) vs. Andalusite
It's a showdown with rare earth elemental ore Monazite-(Ce) and index mineral Andalusite.
Log InRegister
Quick Links : The Mindat ManualThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryMindat Newsletter [Free Download]
Home PageAbout MindatThe Mindat ManualHistory of MindatCopyright StatusWho We AreContact UsAdvertise on Mindat
Donate to MindatCorporate SponsorshipSponsor a PageSponsored PagesMindat AdvertisersAdvertise on Mindat
Learning CenterWhat is a mineral?The most common minerals on earthInformation for EducatorsMindat ArticlesThe ElementsThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryGeologic TimeExplore Fossils
Minerals by PropertiesMinerals by ChemistryMineral Visual ExplorerAdvanced Locality SearchRandom MineralRandom LocalitySearch by minIDLocalities Near MeSearch ArticlesSearch GlossaryMore Search Options
Search For:
Mineral Name:
Locality Name:
Keyword(s):
 
The Mindat ManualAdd a New PhotoRate PhotosLocality Edit ReportCoordinate Completion ReportAdd Glossary Item
Mining CompaniesStatisticsUsersMineral MuseumsClubs & OrganizationsMineral Shows & EventsThe Mindat DirectoryDevice SettingsThe Mineral QuizTime Machine
Photo SearchPhoto GalleriesSearch by ColorPhoto Colour ExplorerNew Photos TodayNew Photos YesterdayMembers' Photo GalleriesPast Photo of the Day GalleryPhotography

Identity Helphelp i have a collection from my dad he was a driller in the north mine broken hill and need help to identify some pieces thanks

6th Sep 2026 12:49 UTCunsure1 OP

04090570017886987391765.jpg
collected north mine broken hill 1960's 1970's

Questions Answered
Can it scratch glass? : Unable to test
Can you scratch it with your fingernail? : Yes
Is it light/heavy for the size? : Heavy

6th Sep 2026 12:59 UTCNoah Horwitz 🌟

Nice specimen!  Looks like some crystals of calcite with a coating of a sulfide mineral, likely pyrite.  Here are two photos from the Mindat gallery showing similar pyrite on calcite (although the calcite habit is different):

(The one thing that doesn't fit is being able to scratch it with a fingernail; if you test on an unbroken, uncoated crystal it should resist scratching)

6th Sep 2026 13:03 UTCunsure1 OP

sorry i misunderstood it scratched my nail not my nail scratched it

6th Sep 2026 17:08 UTCDemetrius Pohl Expert

The larger crystals are coated with very small pyrite crystals. The white mineral in the foreground appears to be quartz (it should easily scratch your fingernail. If it is calcite it might just scratch your fingernail. A drop of vinegar with cause calcite fizz vigorously.

6th Sep 2026 17:24 UTCunsure1 OP

i glows under uv light very bright pink

6th Sep 2026 22:55 UTCBen Grguric Expert

Very common for Broken Hill calcites to fluoresce orange or pink under UK light.

6th Sep 2026 22:55 UTCBen Grguric Expert

Sorry UV light, no only UK sunshine.
 
and/or  
Mindat.org® is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Mindat® and mindat.org® are registered trademarks of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2026, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau.
Content on this site may not be used to train, fine-tune, or otherwise develop artificial intelligence or machine learning models without prior written permission - see our Terms & Conditions.
To cite: Ralph, J., Von Bargen, D., Martynov, P., Zhang, J., Que, X., Prabhu, A., Morrison, S. M., Li, W., Chen, W., & Ma, X. (2025). Mindat.org: The open access mineralogy database to accelerate data-intensive geoscience research. American Mineralogist, 110(6), 833–844. doi:10.2138/am-2024-9486.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: September 7, 2026 05:41:32
Go to top of page