Mineral Collection Research Articles

THE ROCK AND MINERAL COLLECTIONS OF ALBERT BRUN (1857–1939), PHARMACIST AND VOLCANOLOGIST IN GENEVA

ABSTRACT Born in Geneva in 1857, Albert Brun studied pharmacy before going on to mineralogy. He was a member of many scientific societies and carried out extensive research in mineralogy and volcanology alongside his career as a pharmacist. His numerous articles and other communications shed light both on his varied interests and the development of the Earth Sciences at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He was particularly interested in ‘volcanic exhalations’, the gasses released by volcanoes, and devoted much of his spare time to collecting and analyzing them. A large part of his collection of rocks and minerals is now housed in the Natural History Museum of Geneva.

James E. Talmage and the Selenite Crystals

James E. Talmage and the Selenite Crystals

Lev Perovsky and the “Emerald of Kokovin”

In 1835, auditor L. F. Yaroshevitsky discovered many unaccounted precious and semi-precious stones in the apartment of Ya. V. Kokovin, the commander of the Ekaterinburg Lapidary Factory. Among them was a large emerald, which, according to the auditor, “almost surpassed the dignity of the emerald in the crown of Julius Caesar”. The stones were packed in boxes, sealed, and sent to St Petersburg. After the boxes were opened in the capital, it turned out that the specified emerald had disappeared without a trace. The search for the gem remained fruitless. In the Essays on the History of Stone published in 1961 by academic A. E. Fersman, L. A. Perovsky, the vice-president of the Appanage Department and owner of a large collection of minerals was claimed to have stolen the emerald. For the sake of substantiating this version, the text of L. F. Yaroshevitsky’s report was distorted. Under the name of the “Emerald of Kokovin”, another Ural mineral got into the collection of the Fersman Mineralogical Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences. There is also no certainty that the author of the version was A. E. Fersman himself, because the academic died in 1945, leaving the second volume of Essays unfinished. The authority of academic A. E. Fersman and the popularity of his Essays (last reprinted in 2003) still contribute to the replication of the unfounded version of L. A. Perovsky’s stealing the “Emerald of Kokovin”. The purpose of this article is to justify the name of the “zealous lover of mineralogy”, as the famous German mineralogist prof. Gustav Rose called Lev Perovsky.

Piccoliite, NaCaMn3+2(AsO4)2O(OH), a new arsenate from the manganese deposits of Montaldo di Mondovì and Valletta, Piedmont, Italy

AbstractPiccoliite, ideally NaCaMn3+2(AsO4)2O(OH), is a new mineral discovered in the Fe–Mn ore hosted in metaquartzites of the Montaldo di Mondovì mine, Corsaglia Valley, Cuneo Province, Piedmont, Italy. It occurs as small and rare black crystals and aggregates hosted by a matrix of quartz, associated with calcite and berzeliite/manganberzeliite. It has been also found in the Valletta mine near Canosio, Maira Valley, Cuneo Province, Piedmont, Italy, where it occurs embedded in quartz associated with grandaite, hematite, tilasite/adelite and rarely thorianite. The mineral is opaque (thin splinters may be very dark red), with brown streak and has a resinous to vitreous lustre. It is brittle with irregular fracture. No cleavage has been observed. The measured Mohs hardness is ~5–5.5. Piccoliite is non fluorescent. The calculated density is 4.08 g⋅cm–3. Chemical spot analyses by electron microprobe analysis using wavelength dispersive spectroscopy resulted in the empirical formula (based on 10 anions per formula unit) (Na0.64Ca0.35)Σ0.99(Ca0.75Na0.24)Σ0.99(Mn3+1.08Fe3+0.59Mg0.20Ca0.10)Σ1.97(As2.03V0.03Si0.01)Σ2.07O9(OH) and (Na0.53Ca0.47)Σ1.00(Ca0.76Na0.23Sr0.01)Σ1.00(Mn3+0.63Fe3+0.49Mg0.48Mn4+0.34Ca0.06)Σ2.00(As1.97P0.01Si0.01)Σ1.99O9(OH) for the Montaldo di Mondovì and Valletta samples, respectively. The mineral is orthorhombic, Pbcm, with single-crystal unit-cell parameters a = 8.8761(9), b = 7.5190(8), c = 11.689(1) Å and V = 780.1(1) Å3 (Montaldo di Mondovì sample) and a = 8.8889(2), b = 7.5269(1), c = 11.6795(2) Å, V = 781.43(2) Å3 (Valletta sample) with Z = 4. The seven strongest powder X-ray diffraction lines for the sample from Montaldo di Mondovì are [d Å (Irel; hkl)]: 4.85 (57; 102), 3.470 (59; 120, 113), 3.167 (100; 022), 2.742 (30; 310, 213), 2.683 (53; 311, 023), 2.580 (50; 222, 114) and 2.325 (19; 320, 214, 223). The crystal structure (R1 = 0.0250 for 1554 unique reflections for the Montaldo di Mondovì sample and 0.0260 for 3242 unique reflections for the Valletta sample) has MnO5(OH) octahedra forming edge-shared dimers; these dimers are connected through corner-sharing, forming two-up-two-down [[6]M2([4]TO4)4φ2] chains [M = Mn; T = As; φ = O(OH)] running along [001]. These chains are bonded in the a and b directions by sharing corners with AsO4 tetrahedra, giving rise to a framework of tetrahedra and octahedra hosting seven-coordinated Ca2+ and Na+ cations. The crystal structure of piccoliite is closely related to that of pilawite-(Y) as well as to carminite-group minerals that also show the same type of chains but with different linkage. The mineral is named after the mineral collectors Gian Paolo Piccoli and Gian Carlo Piccoli (father and son) (1926–1996 and b. 1953, respectively), the latter having discovered the type material at the Montaldo di Mondovì mine.

The practical significance of the mineralogical and petrographic collections in the Geological and Geographical Department of the Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University Natural Museum

The Geological and Geographical Department of the Natural Museum of the Yuriy Fedkovich Chernivtsi National University preserves reference minerals and rocks. It is one of the oldest university museums in Ukraine. Educational, scientific and research work using exposition and stock collections are the key aspects of the museum’s activity. The mineralogical and petrographic collection consists of about 13,000 exhibits. Each mineral and rock are represented by several samples from different deposits and regions to provide in-depth study and development of mineralogical and petrographic knowledge. During the practical course, students learn to combine theoretical and practical knowledge, to distinguish and work with the main real samples of rocks and, to classify minerals according to their physical properties; to distinguish rocks by structural and textural features, and to determine the conditions of their formation. Systematized collections of minerals and rock samples, kept in showcases and funds as well as relevant exhibits of the educational collection, are used in the educational courses in the Geological and Geographical department of the Museum. Basic tools such as glass, porcelain, reference minerals, 10% hydrochloric acid solution, magnifying glass, mining compass, matches etc. for diagnosing samples are provided. Special attention should be paid to safety measures when students work with samples, as well as additional tools for diagnostics. The safety issues refer careful handling of hydrochloric acid solution, cutting and pricking objects. Educational diagnostics of minerals starts with determining the most characteristic optical properties, as they can be established immediately. At the next stage, the mineral hardness according to the Mohs scale standards or by additional improvised tools is determined. The next stage involves determining the nature of the fracture and cleavage. Then carbonates are checked for the reaction of the sample with a solution of hydrochloric acid. Finally, based on the established signs and with the help of determinants, the conclusion about the mineral name and its reference to a certain class is made by students. The answer can be supplemented with information about the origin and forms of mineral occurrence in nature and the field of use. The examination and diagnostics of rocks is carried out according to the certan plan. First, the appearance of the rock sample is carefully examined with the naked eye and with the help of a magnifying glass. The colour, structural and textural features are determined. Acidity or basicity is established for igneous rocks. In the case of sedimentary rocks, the reaction to the action of hydrochloric acid, the size and nature of inclusions, the nature of cement are inspected. All the determined signs and properties of the samples are recorded in the laboratory work journals. With the help of identifiers, the name of the rock is established and the description is supplemented with the engineering and geological characteristics and fields of use. Based on the examination of the exhibition samples and the funds of the Geological and Geographical Department of the Natural Museum, students get fundamental knowledge about the geography and distribution of world minerals, rocks, and mineral resources. They acquire the skills of independent work with museum collections. The skills can be successfully applied in the scientific and applied institutions in the field, oil production enterprises, geological exploration organizations, etc.

Making it Mine—Sir Arthur Russell and his Mineral Collection by Roy E. Starkey in association with the Natural History Museum, London. British Mineralogy Publications, Bromsgrove, England. 432 pages; 2022; €40.00 (hardbound).

Making it Mine—Sir Arthur Russell and his Mineral Collection by Roy E. Starkey in association with the Natural History Museum, London. British Mineralogy Publications, Bromsgrove, England. 432 pages; 2022; €40.00 (hardbound).

Microscale crack propagation in shale samples using focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy and three-dimensional numerical modeling

Reliable prediction of the shale fracturing process is a challenging problem in exploiting deep shale oil and gas resources. Complex fracture networks need to be artificially created to employ deep shale oil and gas reserves. Randomly distributed minerals and heterogeneities in shales significantly affect mechanical properties and fracturing behaviors in oil and gas exploitation. Describing the actual microstructure and associated heterogeneities in shales constitutes a significant challenge. The RFPA3D (rock failure process analysis parallel computing program)-based modeling approach is a promising numerical technique due to its unique capability to simulate the fracturing behavior of rocks. To improve traditional numerical technology and study crack propagation in shale on the microscopic scale, a combination of high-precision internal structure detection technology with the RFPA3D numerical simulation method was developed to construct a real mineral structure-based modeling method. First, an improved digital image processing technique was developed to incorporate actual shale microstructures (focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy was used to capture shale microstructure images that reflect the distributions of different minerals) into the numerical model. Second, the effect of mineral inhomogeneity was considered by integrating the mineral statistical model obtained from the mineral nanoindentation experiments into the numerical model. By simulating a shale numerical model in which pyrite particles are wrapped by organic matter, the effects of shale microstructure and applied stress state on microcrack behavior and mechanical properties were investigated and analyzed. In this study, the effect of pyrite particles on fracture propagation was systematically analyzed and summarized for the first time. The results indicate that the distribution of minerals and initial defects dominated the fracture evolution and the failure mode. Cracks are generally initiated and propagated along the boundaries of hard mineral particles such as pyrite or in soft minerals such as organic matter. Locations with collections of hard minerals are more likely to produce complex fractures. This study provides a valuable method for understanding the microfracture behavior of shales.

Marchettiite, (NH4)C5H3N4O3, a new organic mineral from Mount Cervandone, Devero Valley, Western–Central Alps, Italy

ABSTRACTThe new mineral marchettiite (IMA2017-066) is the natural equivalent of ammonium hydrogen urate. It has a simple molecular formula C5H7N5O3 and can be alternatively written as (NH4)C5H3N4O3. Marchettiite was found in a cleft at Mount Cervandone, Devero Valley, Piedmont, Italy, where it occurs as aggregates of opaque pale pink to white, platy prismatic crystals. This mineral has a white streak, dull and opaque lustre, it is not fluorescent and has a hardness of 2–2.5 (Mohs’ scale). The tenacity is brittle and crystals have a good cleavage parallel to {001}. The calculated density is 1.69 g/cm3. Marchettiite is biaxial (–) with 2V of 47.24°; the optical properties of marchettiite were determined by periodic-DFT methods providing the following values: α = 1.372, β = 1.681 and γ = 1.768. No twinning was observed. Electron microprobe analyses gave the following chemical formula: C4.99H6.97N4.91O3.00. Although the small crystal size did not allow refinement of structural data by single-crystal diffraction, we were able to refine the structure by powder micro X-ray diffraction. Marchettiite has space group P$\bar{1}$ and the following unit-cell parameters: a = 3.6533(2) Å, b = 10.2046(7) Å, c = 10.5837(7) Å, α = 113.809(5)°, β = 91.313(8)°, γ = 92.44(1)° and V = 360.312 Å3. The strongest lines in the powder diffraction pattern [d in Å (I)(hkl)] are: 9.784(50)(001); 8.663(80)(01$\bar{1}$); 5.659(100)(011); 3.443(100)(10$\bar{1}$); 3.241(70)(003) and 3.158(100)(1$\bar{1}\bar{1})$. Marchettiite is named after Gianfranco Marchetti, the mineral collector who found this mineral.

As-bearing new mineral species from Valletta mine, Maira Valley, Piedmont, Italy: IV. Lombardoite, Ba2Mn3+(AsO4)2(OH) and aldomarinoite, Sr2Mn3+(AsO4)2(OH), description and crystal structure

AbstractLombardoite, ideally Ba2Mn3+(AsO4)2(OH), and aldomarinoite, ideally Sr2Mn3+(AsO4)2(OH), are two new minerals of the arsenbrackebuschite group in the brackebuschite supergroup, discovered in Fe–Mn ore in metaquartzites of the abandoned mine of Valletta, Canosio, Val Maira, Cuneo Province, Piedmont, Italy. They occur as red–brown and orange brown, respectively, as subhedral crystals (< 0.5 mm) in thin masses, associated with quartz, aegirine, baryte, calcite, hematite, muscovite and Mn minerals such as cryptomelane, braunite and manganberzeliite. Both minerals are translucent, have yellow–orange streak and vitreous lustre. Both are brittle. Estimated Mohs hardness is 6–6½ for lombardoite (by analogy to canosioite), and 4½–5 for aldomarinoite (by analogy to tokyoite). Calculated densities are 5.124 g/cm3 for lombardoite and 4.679 g/cm3 for aldomarinoite. Both minerals are biaxial (+). Lombardoite shows 2Vz(meas.) = 78(4)° and is pleochroic with X = yellowish brown, Y = brown and Z = reddish brown (Z > Y > X). Aldomarinoite has 2Vz(meas.) = 67.1(1)°, and is pleochroic with X = brown, Y = brownish orange and Z = yellowish brown (Z > Y > X). Point analyses by electron microprobe using wavelength dispersive spectroscopy resulted in the empirical formula (based on 9 O anions): (Ba1.96Sr0.17Pb0.04Na0.02Ca0.02)Σ2.21(Mn3+0.62Fe3+0.13Al0.06Mg0.11)Σ0.92[(As0.87V0.12P0.01)Σ1.00O4]2(OH) for lombardoite, and (Sr1.93Ca0.21Ba0.04Pb0.01)Σ2.19(Mn3+0.48Al0.35Fe3+0.21Mg0.01)Σ1.05[(As0.92V0.03)Σ0.95O4]2(OH) for aldomarinoite. The absence of H2O was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. Both minerals are monoclinic, P21/m, with unit-cell parameters a = 7.8636(1) Å, b = 6.13418(1) Å, c = 9.1197(1) Å, β = 112.660(2)° and V = 405.94(1) Å3, for lombardoite and a = 7.5577(4) Å, b = 5.9978(3) Å, c = 8.7387(4) Å, β = 111.938(6)° and V = 367.43(3) Å3, for aldomarinoite. The eight strongest powder X-ray diffraction lines are [d, Å (Irel) (hkl)]: 6.985 (39) (10$\bar{1}$), 3.727 (33) (111), 3.314 (100) (21$\bar{1}$), 3.073 (24) (020), 3.036 (33) (21$\bar{2}$, 10$\bar{3}$), 2.810 (87) (12$\bar{1}$, 112), 2.125 (20) (301, 11$\bar{4}$) and 1.748 (24) (321) for lombardoite and 3.191 (89) (21$\bar{1}$), 2.997 (45) (020), 2.914 (47) (21$\bar{2}$, 10$\bar{3}$), 2.715 (100) (112), 2.087 (39) (12$\bar{3}$, 1.833 (32) (31$\bar{4}$), 1.689 (36) (321), 1.664 (21) (132) for aldomarinoite. The minerals are isostructural with brackebuschite: infinite chains of edge sharing octahedra running parallel to the b axis and decorated with AsO4 groups are connected along the a and c axes through Ba and Sr atoms in lombardoite and aldomarinoite, respectively. The minerals are named after Bruno Lombardo (1944–2014), geologist and petrologist at C.N.R. (National Research Council of Italy), and Aldo Marino (b. 1942) the mineral collector and founding member of the AMI – Italian Micromineralogical Association.

Some remarks on a German chipped stone lithic assemblage of uncertain origin in the collection of the Institue of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University

András Marton has recently come into the possession of a small, chipped stone assemblage from the legacy of a German amateur mineral collector from Hamburg. Unfortunately, very little is known about the deceased and his collection. A part of the finds, including tools, was donated to the Institute of Archaeology of the Eötvös Loránd University. The lithic assemblage contains a total of 27 chipped stone artefacts made exclusively of Baltic flint. Concerning the raw material used, these flint varieties with the banded structure are rather unusual in Schleswig-Holstein. They are much more likely to originate from Lower Saxony or perhaps Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Apart from the general technological description of the assemblage, some pieces from these non-formal tools have been selected for a detailed description. The application of the “direct percussion with a hard hammer” technique and the presence of the thick artefacts contradict the Palaeolithic or Mesolithic origin of the assemblage, except for the flint axe (“Kernbeil”), which has a possible Mesolithic association. Alternatively, if the edges of the artefacts are not worn out or rolled, then along the edges of all artefacts traces of some kind of “cryoturbation retouch” are observable. In this case, the Palaeolithic dating of the finds is more plausible.

From alchemy to modern mineralogy: dating mineral collections via chemical notation

Mineral specimens found in historical collections often include specimen labels, which may provide vital information on the nature, chemistry and origin of the material. However, the evolution of chemical notation, particularly during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, led to a wide range of ways in which a given sample could be adequately documented, many of which may still be found in collections in the present day. Prior to the advent of modern mineralogy, samples were labelled using a complex and sometimes baffling language of alchemical symbols with little meaning to modern scientists. The efforts of notable chemists and mineralogists, such as Torbern Bergman, Antoine Lavoisier, John Dalton and Jöns Jacob Berzelius, began to reform and unify chemical nomenclature, providing a number of new terms, symbols and approaches to the description of materials. With the advent of atomic theory in the nineteenth century, new classification schemes based on quantitatively describing the atomic arrangement and composition of minerals were proposed, representing a significant step towards modern mineralogy. Understanding the development of chemical notation over time not only facilitates the identification of mineral specimens but may also provide clues as to the date that the sample was documented, and potentially even the location.

On an exceptional sample of wooden crystallographic models from the collection of minerals at the École des Mines de Saint-Étienne (France): description, history, digitalization, duplication

Abstract. The École des Mines de Saint-Étienne possesses an important collection of wooden and terracotta crystallographic models (several hundreds). During the 2000s, enhancement and rehabilitation action was undertaken. Several series of Krantz models were identified by the logos and linked to catalogs. The relation of these models to the important work of Paul Heinrich von Groth, in cooperation with the Krantz company, is highlighted. An exceptional element was discovered: a polyhedron with 170 facets, from the cubic system. After a short description of the model, we report on the digitalization work, followed by a description of two duplication methods: 3D printing and precision lost-wax vacuum casting.

A Method to Detect Abnormal Gas Dispersion Conditions in Flotation Machines

This short communication presents a methodology to detect abnormal gas dispersion conditions in flotation machines. These abnormal conditions are characterized by the significant presence of cap-shaped bubbles. The approach considers the use of a bubble size analyzer to measure gas dispersion at industrial scale. The detection of abnormal conditions is critical when estimating bubble size by automated software. Otherwise, the estimates are significantly biased, since irregular bubbles are typically removed from the analysis. From the recorded images and the respective black and white representation, the variability of the shadow percentage caused by the bubbles in the vision field, abruptly increases in the presence of cap-shaped bubbles. Experimental conditions with coefficients of variation lower than 60–70% in the shadow percentage represent spherical and spherical-ellipsoidal regimes. In the former, automated bubble sizing software has proved to be sufficiently effective in obtaining reliable results. In the latter, different segmentation techniques have been proposed to obtain satisfactory results. Abnormal conditions are detected under coefficients of variation greater than 80% in the shadow percentage. The presence of cap-shaped bubbles causes inefficiencies in the collection of hydrophobic minerals in the pulp zone as well as disturbances in the separation stage (froth zone). Therefore, the detection of these irregular bubbles is suitable to provide feedback to flotation processes, allowing gas dispersion to be driven towards normal operating conditions.

Участие женщин в формировании и развитии музейного дела Томского университета (1880-е - начало 1920-х гг.)

The authors of this article highlight the contribution of women to the creation and functioning of museums of Tomsk University. The using of authentic sources suggests that in the early years of the university's creation, the participation of women in the museum science was limited to charity. Women donated collections of their deceased relatives to Tomsk University or donated their own collections of museum objects. It is known about the generous gift of F.E. Tsibulskaya, Siberian gold-miner' widow. She donated a collection of Siberian minerals to the university. Anna Nordenschild (Smit), the widow of the Norwegian collector Gustav Nordenschild, presented a large collection of butterflies. It was highly appreciated by the head of the University Zoological Museum, professor Kashchenko. It mentioned that among the women-donors were ordinary townswomen, and high-society ladies. For example, the collection of coins and tokens, sent to Tomsk by E.V. von Geyser, the Minister of Public Education I.D. Delyanov had accompanied. The situation was changed by the law of July 3, 1914. This law allowed women to work in university museums on equal terms with men. The implementation of the law began in 1915. The Ministry of Public Education sent additional assignation for the maintenance of educational and auxiliary institutions (offices, laboratories, museums) of the Imperial Tomsk University. In 1915-1916, the first female employees were admitted to the museums of Tomsk University. Graduates of the Siberian Women's Courses Taisiya Tripolitova, Enafa Nikitina and Lidia Sergiyevskaya worked at the Botanical Museum (Herbarium)) on a permanent basis. They participated in scientific expeditions conducted under the leadership of professor of Botany Department V.V. Sapozhnikov, as well as the curator of the Botanical Museum P.N. Krylov. They processed their herbariums, published the first scientific articles. Elizaveta Kiseleva, a graduate of the Siberian Women's Courses, worked at the Zoological Museum. Under the guidance of Professor M.D. Ruzsky, she collected a collection of ants and was engaged in the processing and description of this collection. In 1919, E.F. Kiseleva collaborated at the Institute of Siberian Studies. She studied the fauna of the Ob River and brought a collection of Ob fish to the Zoological Museum. So the study of the causes of the “fish kill” in Ob River was began. In addition to full-time employees in Tomsk University museums female students who specialized in the study of Siberian vegetation worked as well. Their collections replenished the Herbarium of Tomsk University and were used for scientific and educational purposes. In conclusion, the authors emphasize that at the turn of the 1910-20s, Tomsk University formed a core of women researchers, around whom professional museum employees were concentrated.

Defining Damage and Susceptibility, with Implications for Mineral Specimens and Objects: Introducing the Mineral Susceptibility Database

ABSTRACT Damage and susceptibility are key concepts in conservation but are rarely explicitly defined. This paper provides definitions for these terms and applies them to mineral collections. Minerals are often overlooked in the context of heritage conservation due to their assumed stability. While many appear to be stable under ambient conditions, at least 10% of known mineral species are susceptible to temperature, moisture, light, or pollutant levels common in museum stores and displays. These susceptible minerals are represented in museums as natural history specimens (as crystals and inclusions within rocks and fossils), pigments in paintings, and deterioration products of other minerals, metals, and many other object types. A new online resource, the Mineral Susceptibility Database, has been designed to facilitate the preservation of minerals by providing relevant information in a single, accessible location. Data were collated and synthesised from various fields of research, many of which are not easily accessible to museum professionals. As an open repository of interdisciplinary research, the Mineral Susceptibility Database encourages informed decision-making and advocates cross-disciplinary communication, both of which are necessary to improve the care of mineral and geological materials.

MINERALIZATION OF LIMESTONE AND VOLCANIC ROCK OF THE TACIPI FORMATION

Rocks are a collection of minerals that have frozen. Rocks can contain one or several minerals. Minerals are physically and chemically homogeneous crystalline substances in the earth crust. Minerals are formed at the same time as rocks. Minerals are a type of natural resource that must be studied. However, there have never been any mineral content studies done in the Tacipi Formation area, which has a great natural resource potential. Research conducted in Ulo, Lanca, and Lappae Villages (Tacipi Formation), Bone Regency, Indonesia, aimed to determine the mineral content of the rock, the crystal structure, and the distribution of rock minerals at three sampling points: point 1 (Ulo) with igneous rock samples from Bone Volcano, point 2 (Lanca) with sedimentary rock samples and point 3 (Lappae) with sedimentary rock samples from Bone Limestone tested with X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. The analysis of all samples using the High Score Plus software obtained mineral content: magnesian calcite, calcite, quartz, diopside, corundum, chalcopyrite, and wustite. The minerals that often appear are magnesian calcite and quartz, with a mineral crystal structure that is rhombohedral and hexagonal with varying sizes. Quartz is produced from interbedded rocks of the Bone volcanic rock with the limestone reefs of the Tacipi Formation. The research results, which have a novelty value, show that the mineral richness in this area is diversified. The research results can be used by the community, local government, and investors to develop the mining sector.

Armellinoite-(Ce), Ca4Ce4+(AsO4)4⋅H2O, a new mineral species isostructural with pottsite, (Pb3Bi)Bi(VO4)4⋅H2O

AbstractArmellinoite-(Ce), ideally Ca4Ce4+(AsO4)4⋅H2O, is a new mineral discovered in Fe–Mn ore in metaquartzites of the Montaldo mine, Corsaglia Valley, Cuneo Province, Piedmont, Italy. It occurs as very small and rare, pale yellow to brown–yellow pseudo-octahedral translucent crystals hosted by a matrix of quartz, hematite, cryptomelane/hollandite, tilasite, muscovite, braunite and montmorillonite. The mineral is translucent, with white streak and has a resinous to vitreous lustre. It is brittle with irregular fracture and fair cleavage parallel to {110} and {100}. Estimated Mohs hardness is ~3–3.5. Calculated density is 4.29 g⋅cm–3. Armellinote-(Ce) is uniaxial (–), ω = 1.795(5), ɛ = 1.765(5) (white light), non-pleochroic and non-fluorescent. Chemical point analyses by WDS-EPMA yielded the empirical formula (based on 17 O+F anions): A(Ca3.89Th0.08Sr0.02La0.03)Σ4.02B(Ce4+0.76Nd0.13Y0.08Gd0.03Sm0.02Pr0.01Dy0.01Ho0.01)Σ1.05[(As4.00P0.01)Σ4.01O4]4⋅(H2O0.85F0.15)Σ2.00. The presence of H2O was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The mineral is tetragonal, I41/a, with single-crystal unit-cell parameters a = 10.749(2), c = 12.030(2) Å and V = 1390.0(6) Å3, with Z = 4. The eight strongest X-ray powder diffraction lines are [d Å (Irel; hkl)]: 7.983 (36; 101), 4.443 (23; 2̄11), 2.957 (100; 3̄12), 2.398 (14; 420), 1.875 (22; 424, 325), 1.728 (19; 3̄16), 1.612 (13; 613) and 1.475 (26; 712, 552). The crystal structure (R1 = 0.0284 for 1275 unique reflections) has isolated TO4 (T = As5+) tetrahedra that link Ca2+- or Ce4+-centred polyhedra via common oxygen ligands to form 2D blocks or double-layered (DL) structural units parallel to (001). Armellinoite-(Ce) is isostructural with pottsite, ideally (Pb3Bi)Bi(VO4)4⋅H2O, and closely related to a larger number of anhydrous synthetic compounds. The mineral is named after the mineral collector Gianluca Armellino (b. 1962), who collected the discovery sample.

PERAN BADAN PENGELOLAAN KEUANGAN, PENDAPATAN DAN ASET DALAM MENINGKATKAN PENERIMAAN PAJAK MINERAL BUKAN LOGAM DAN BATUAN

This research examines the role Financial Management Agency, Revenue in Increasing Non-Metal Mineral and Rock Tax Revenue, it is known that in 2016-2020 there was a significant decrease in the realization of tax revenues (in 2016 the realization was Rp. 1.887.075.092,- until 2020 the realization only reached Rp. 305.450.406,-). This decrease was due to a change in the collection system used in collecting taxes on non-metallic minerals and rocks in 2016-2020 from an official assessment system to a self assessment system. The theory used to analyze the problem is the implementation theory according to Edwards III with four main indicators including communication, resources, disposition, and bureaucratic structure. The research method use a gualitative approach. Date collection techniques through observation, interviews and documentation. The results showed that tax revenues for non-metallic minerals and rocks continued to decline in Bener Meriah Regency from 2016-2020, using the self assessment system as a system for collecting taxes on non-metallic minerals and rocks that were still not effectively implemented. What steps are taken to increase tax revenues for non-metallic minerals and rocks in Bener Meriah Regency are due to the lack of socialization of the regulations that have been set and coordination of information delivery among tiered officials. Resources that are lacking in carrying out supervision in the form of tax collectors for non-metallic minerals and rocks.Weak disposition with lack of seriousness in tax collection management. The bureaucratic structure with a lack of coordination is the cause of the lack of information and communication carried out by officials who collect taxes on non-metallic minerals and rocks at BPKPA, Bener Meriah Regency

Alexander William Robert Bevan, July 25, 1951–February 11, 2021

Alexander William Robert Bevan, July 25, 1951–February 11, 2021

USING OF ROCKS OF FACING OF BUILDINGS PSACEA IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS

Problem statement. The problem of improving the learning process can be solved by increasing the educational collections of minerals and rocks that can be found every day, but for various reasons, do not pay attention to them. The best samples of various stone materials were usually used for cladding. Similarly, in the external and internal cladding of the academy buildings were used varieties of rocks that differ in strength, color, texture, structure and inclusions of minerals and are the best examples of decorative building materials. Purpose of the article. All this diverse stone decoration of the Academy can be used in the educational process, in particular, for the study of minerals and rocks within the discipline “Engineering Geology”, which is read to all students of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, as well as the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Ecology. Conclusion. All this diverse stone decoration of the Academy is quite possible to use in the educational process, in particular, for the study of minerals and rocks in the framework of teaching the discipline “Engineering Geology”, which is read to all students of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, as well as the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Ecology. Thanks to the polished surface of large slabs of facing rocks, it is possible to visually and more fully identify rocks while studying the relevant disciplines, which is convenient for teaching students of all specialties. It is expedient to use facing materials of buildings of educational institution in the course of studying of geological disciplines, especially for students-architects for what it is necessary to provide target excursions on buildings of academy. Various rocks, with which the interior elements are faced, serve as a good addition to the existing educational collections of the Department of Engineering Geology and Geotechnics.