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Hauyne, Phlogopite, Calcite, Gonnardite - Afghanistan

Early in my research into Afghanistan minerals I came across this specimen. I find it one of the most beautiful pieces I have discovered to date. I have yet to find any other specimen like this one. The first mineral you might notice are the bright flakes of yellow phlogopite sprinkled all over the face. Then bright splashes of red fluorescing calcite jump out. But the blue fluorescence is what caught my eye. At first I thought it was feldspar, but after examining dozens of other specimens I’m pretty sure it’s gonnardite. But all the gonnardite I’ve seen has fluoresced white - not blue as in this piece.

The greenish mineral (white light) is either sodalite or hauyne. I’m betting hauyne even though hauyne is normally blue in white light - this might be an exception (my bet based on the associated gonnardite). Under LW the sodalite/hauyne fluoresces a bright orange and the mineral I am now assuming to be gonnardite shifts to a more whitish color (also fits with other specimens of gonnardite I’ve found).

We have a lot to learn about the minerals from Afghanistan.

Hauyne, Phlogopite, Calcite, Gonnardite

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