Crocoite, Red Lead Mine, Dundas, Tasmania

Mineral Matters #371

I had a quiet weekend, doing a bit of mid-Winter spring cleaning in my Rock Room. Where does all that dust come from?

So as a bit of a wind down, I randomly selected a specimen to photograph.

This turned out to be a crocoite from the Red Lead Mine, and a specimen that has been in my collection since the late 1980s/early 1990s. It has been a bit neglected, just sitting there in its little micro box, biding its time, waiting to show its colourful glory to the world! It’s time has now arrived!

The Red Lead Mine in Dundas, Tasmania, is located about 10km to the north east of Zeehan on Tasmania's west coast. The Red Lead, and the nearby Adelaide Mine, produce the best crocoite specimens in the world.

I have only visited the Red Lead one time, and didn’t find a lot in the muddy gooey open cut. Still a good memory though.

Below: Crocoite, Red Lead Mine, Dundas, Tasmania. Width of view 6mm. Click on the image for a higher resolution version.