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Rockhound Times

Your one-stop shop for rock and geology news, collecting sites, and essential rockhounding equipment.
Welcome to Rockhound Times, where you can browse through dozens of detailed gem and fossil collecting localities, find recent news of interest to the rockhounding and geology communities, and even stock up on the essential books and gear that any well-equipped rockhound should have.

We believe that rockhounding should be a hobby that is open to all, and with that in mind, we've set out to share the rock and gem collecting sites with the world. From tiny roadside stops to major, well-known collecting sites, you can find it at Rockhound Times.

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Mineral of the Day: Okenite

3/22/2016

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Okenite from India
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Fuzzy blobs of okenite on larger specimen
Today's mineral is Okenite, those ever-popular fuzzy white cottonball minerals. Named after the German naturalist Lorenz Oken, they were first discovered in Greenland in 1828.

It is important to note that natural Okenite is WHITE. If you see it in other colors, it has been dyed. The white crystals do not have good contrast with the white matrix, and many sellers use food coloring to make a more colorful specimen, which they then try to pass off as natural. You'll often see it dyed orange, blue, or green.

Okenite is usually associated with zeolites, and is generally found inside basalt geodes. The 'hairs' are somewhat flexible, but still very fragile.

In my days of doing mineral shows, I found that putting a sign saying "Fragile - do not touch" did not deter every passer by from jamming their finger into my okenites. When I got fed up with smashed and mangled specimens, I put up a different sign that said, "Danger! Sharp needles!". Problem solved. However, they are actually quite soft and harmless to touch, just be very gentle with them.

Most of the Okenite currently in the market comes out of India, particularly Maharashtra Province.


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