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Pollucite

Name: Pollucite
SKU: 32623-PT
Price: 95.00 CAD
Availability: OutOfStock

32623-PT Category: _Archives –specimens pending sale or deletion

Tanco Mine, Bernic Lake, Lac-du-Bonnet area, Manitoba

Canada

Dimensions: 6.1x3.0x3.0 cm

Price: CA

Pollucite from the Tanco Mine, Manitoba, is sourced from the pegmatite at Bernic Lake, which contains two-thirds of the world's known reserves of cesium. Cesium is mined as pollucite ore in a shallow underground mine from a zoned pegmatite. Massive white pollucite occurs in distinctive zones within the Tanco pegmatite. These masses are often slightly altered, with glassy pollucite grains surrounded by an opaque alteration network. The Tanco Mine, also known as the Bernic Lake Mine, is an underground caesium and tantalum mine owned and operated by Sinomine Resource Group since 2019, located on the northwest shore of Bernic Lake, Manitoba, Canada. The pegmatite ore body was discovered in the late 1920s, with the first mining operations starting in 1929. The mine experienced several closures and reopenings until 1969, when it was reopened as a tantalum mine. The mine has the largest known deposit of pollucite and is also the world's largest producer of cesium.

Read more: Crouse, R. A., Černý, P. (1972) The Tanco pegmatite at Bernic Lake, Manitoba. I. Geology and paragenesis. The Canadian Mineralogist, 11 (3) 591-608

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This specimen comes from the collection of Peter Tarassoff, a prominent figure in mineralogy, particularly known for his work at Mont Saint-Hilaire (MSH). His diligent collecting and examination efforts have led him to be the first to identify at least 35 species and discover 12 new species, not only at MSH but also at other alkaline localities. Dubbed the "Dean" of Mont Saint-Hilaire collectors, Peter was honoured with the naming of the new species petarasite in 1980. He has authored or co-authored numerous mineralogical articles and has been a member of the Mineralogical Association of Canada since 1964 and the Mineralogical Society of America for over 30 years. Additionally, Peter has volunteered at the Redpath Museum for the past 21 years. In recognition of his significant contributions to mineralogy, Dr. Peter Tarassoff was awarded the 2017 Pinch Medal by the Mineralogical Association of Canada.

Peter's dedication to systematic collecting, curating his collection, and maintaining an archive of detailed historical and scientific information has greatly benefited the mineral sciences community both in Canada and globally. All specimens from this collection come with the original P. Tarassoff collection label.

Note: All prices are in Canadian dollars (CAD). International customers are charged in CAD, exchange rate is calculated automatically by your bank/paypal upon checkout.

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