Analcime, Boron, California

Mineral Matters #406

Zeolites from Boron, California? A locality that is best known for its borate minerals? So much so, that the place is named after the element, boron?

Well, yes.

There are also basalts in the area, the Saddleback Basalt.

In fact, one of the zeolites from Boron is a Type Locality species. Type Locality refers to the place from which a mineral species was first found and/or described.

The zeolites recorded include: Analcime, chabazite, clinoptilolite, erionite, gmelinite, harmotome, heulandite, mazzite-Na (Type Locality), mordenite, natrolite, phillipsite and stilbite!

Below: Analcime with the borate ulexite, Kramer Borate Deposit, Boron, Kern Co., California. Width of view 6.5mm.