UT Permanent Collection
Azurite and Malachite (Copper Ore), Hardeman County, Texas
Azurite, Malachite and Calcite 's Chemical Formula: Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 for both Azurite and Malachite 's Crystal System: Monoclinic 's Specimen size: 10 x 7.5 x 2.5 cm 's Specimen weight: 265 grams 's Collection reference identification: TMM-1490. 's Specimen in the permanent collection of the Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin. Core and assay information (> 4% Cu) on a copper occurrence called Cottonwood Creek in Permian age rocks in Hardeman County is listed on https://thediggings.com/mines/usgs10022082.
Balmorhea Blue Agate, Reeves County, Texas.
Agate (variety Balmorhea Blue, polished) Locality: Reeves County Chemical Formula: SiO2 (Chalcedony, cryptocrystalline form of Silica or Quartz) Specimen size: 3.75 cm x 3.25 cm x 0.5cm Specimen weight: 165 grams Specimen ID #: #1120 From the McIver Agate Collection (Jackson School of Geosciences)
Vesicular Basalt, Brewster County, Texas
Basalt is an aphanitic (fine-grained) igneous rock with generally 45-55% silica (SiO2) and less than 10% feldspathoid by volume, and where at least 65% of the rock is feldspar in the form of plagioclase. Dissolved magma gases form bubbles when erupted resulting in this characteristic texture pitted with many cavities (known as vesicles) at its surface and inside. Chemically this is actually a Trachyandesite. Locality: outcrops along Texas FM 2627 near the Black Gap WMA. Mineralogy: Little or no free quartz, dominated by alkali feldspar and sodic plagioclase along with one or more of the following mafic minerals: amphibole, biotite or pyroxene. Specimen size: 12.5 cm long x 9 cm tall x 5 cm thick Specimen weight: 578 grams Collection ID: Specimen in the permanent collection of the Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin.
Clay for Stoneware, Fayette County, Texas
Fine grade Bentonite clay appropriate for Stoneware. Locality: Lena, on FM 154, four miles south of West Point in NW Fayette County. Chemical Formula: (Montmorillinite) (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O Crystal System: Monoclinic Specimen Size: 7.5 x 4 x 5 cm Vial Weight: 196 grams UT Collection ID: TMM-2524 In the late 1920's and continuing for the next thirty-five years the Earthen Products, Millwhite, and Texas companies excavated clay pits and shipped bentonite clay from extensive deposits described by J. C. Melcher in 1902. The Texas Company built an extensive processing plant on a spur line to the railroad and provided cottages for about twenty employees. In the permanent collection of the Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin.
Gadolinite (Y), a Berylium Yttrium Rare Earth, Llano County, Texas
Gadolinite Locality: Llano County, Texas (Baringer Hill) Chemical Formula: Y2FeBe2Si2O10 Crystal System: Monoclinic Specimen size: 3 x 3.25 x 2 inches Specimen weight: 742 grams In the Jackson School of Geosciences Collection, University of Texas at Austin. Collection reference: TMM 1875. Additional Information: Baringer Hill is the site of a pegmatite, discovered in 1887 by John Baringer, and has been described by the USGS as one of the greatest deposits of rare-earth elements in the world. Unfortunately, the site is now covered by the waters of Lake Buchanon. So this sample is rare, and even though it doesn't display the crystal forms found in Norway and Italy, it does display the characteristic glassy vitreous nature and brittleness and conchoidal fractures that are common in specimens.
Balmorhea Blue Agate, Reeves County, Texas.
Agate (variety Balmorhea Blue, polished) Locality: Reeves County Chemical Formula: SiO2 (Chalcedony, cryptocrystalline form of Silica or Quartz) Specimen size: 13 cm x 9.0 cm x 5.0 cm Specimen weight: 578 grams. Specimen ID #: M-72 (#1069). From the McIver Agate Collection (Jackson School of Geosciences).
Balmorhea Blue Agate, Reeves County, Texas.
Agate (variety Balmorhea Blue, polished) Locality: Reeves County Chemical Formula: SiO2 (Chalcedony, cryptocrystalline form of Silica or Quartz) Specimen size: 9.5 cm x 15 cm x 21 cm Specimen weight: 2.192 kilograms Specimen ID #: 936 From the McIver Agate Collection (Jackson School of Geosciences).
Bentonite, Fayette County, Texas
Bentonite is an absorbent aluminium phyllosilicate clay consisting mostly of montmorillonite. Specimen Location: 2 miles west of Flatonia, Fayette County, Texas Chemical Formula (Montmorillonite): (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O Crystal System: Monoclinic Vial Weight: 101 grams UT Collection ID: TMM-193 Main uses of bentonite are for drilling mud, binder (e.g. foundry-sand bond, iron ore pelletizer), purifier, absorbent (e.g. pet litter), and as a groundwater barrier. About 50% of bentonite is used in drilling muds. In the permanent collection of the Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin.
Conglomerate (Building Stone), Gillespie County, Texas
Specimen Location: Outcrops along the west valley wall of Threadgill Creek upstream from Lange's Mill, Gillespie County, Texas. Rock Description: Lower Cretaceous basal conglomerate with pebbles of limestone from the Threadgill member, the Wilberns formation, and the Cap Mountain limestone member; also some hard quartzite pebbles of Welge and Hickory sandstone and very rarely a small pebble of granite and some chert. Specimen dimensions: 13 x 10 x 4.5 cm Weight: 760 grams UT Collection ID: TMM-2232 Virgil Barnes described, "the most desirable conglomerate yet found lies above the Ordovician Threadgill member of the Tanyard formation and the Wilberns formation in the Lange's Mill area" on p. 158 of "Building Stones of Central Texas", Univ. of TX publication No. 4246, 1942. I believe that this is a sample that Virgil collected from that location. In the permanent collection of the Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin.
Galena (Lead ore), El Paso County, Texas
Galena (PbS) Location: listed as found on the west side of the Quitman Mountains from the McKinney Claims County: El Paso, County Chemical formula: PbS Crystal System: Isometric Specimen size: 4 x 3 x 2 inches Specimen weight: 966 grams Collection reference: TMM 1547
Balmorhea Blue Agate, Reeves County, Texas.
Agate (variety Balmorhea Blue, polished) Locality: Reeves County Chemical Formula: SiO2 (Chalcedony, cryptocrystalline form of Silica or Quartz) Specimen size: 11 cm x 8.5 x 0.7 cm Specimen weight: 124 grams. Specimen ID #: M-60 (1 of 2). From the McIver Agate Collection (Jackson School of Geosciences).
Balmorhea Blue Agate, Reeves County, Texas.
Agate (variety Balmorhea Blue, polished) Locality: Reeves County Chemical Formula: SiO2 (Chalcedony, cryptocrystalline form of Silica or Quartz) Specimen size: 11.5 cm x 9.0 cm x 3.0 cm Specimen weight: 444 grams. Specimen ID #: M-135 (#759). From the McIver Agate Collection (Jackson School of Geosciences).
Chalcopyrite (Copper Sulfide), El Paso County, Texas
Chalcopyrite is an important Cu ore. Locality: labeled as ore from the Pecos Mining Company, Sierra Diablo Range, in El Paso County, Texas. Chemical Formula: CuFeS2 Crystal System: Tetragonal Specimen size: 5 x 5 x 3 cm Specimen weight: 375 grams Collection ID: TMM-1765 Mineral resources of the United States, Calendar Year 1909 (p. 455) reports that the Hazel Mine in the Sierra Diablo range was and important Copper and Silver producer, and earlier reports (1902) report assays of 44% Cu from the Hazel Mine.
Fergusonite (green), a Yttrium Niobium Rare Earth, Llano County, Texas
Locality: from the Baringer Hill Pegmatite, Llano County, Texas Fergusonite is a complex oxide of various rare earth elements Chemical Formula: (Y,RE)NbO4, where RE = rare earth Crystal System: Tetragonal - Dipyramidal Specimen Size: 3 in x 3.5 in x 2.75 in Specimen Weight: 918 grams Specimen Identification: TMM-2290 In the Permanent Collection of the Jackson School of Geosciences, the University of Texas at Austin. The pegmatite was discovered in 1887, but buried under Lake Buchanon in 1937.
Hollandite (Manganese Ore), Jeff Davis County, Texas
Hollandite (a Manganese Ore) Location: the Walter Mayfield prospect is located about 4.5 miles southwest of Chispa on the Southern Pacific Railroad. County: Jeff Davis County Chemical Composition: Ba(Mn+4, Mn+3)8O16 Crystal system: Monoclinic, this is an example of the botyroidal mineral habit Specimen size: 3 x 2 x 2.5 inches Specimen weight: 385 grams Collection reference: TMM 198 In the Jackson School of Geosciences Collection at the University of Texas at Austin. Additional Information: This specimen was listed as being personally collected by Virgil Barnes. Hollandite was found in botyroidal masses containing about 15% barium, that were interpreted to occupy fractures in the Mayfield fault zone.
Balmorhea Blue Agate, Reeves County, Texas.
Agate (variety Balmorhea Blue, polished) Locality: Reeves County Chemical Formula: SiO2 (Chalcedony, cryptocrystalline form of Silica or Quartz) Specimen size: 23 cm x 15.25 cm x 15 cm Specimen weight: 906 grams. Specimen ID #: M-13 (#872). From the McIver Agate Collection (Jackson School of Geosciences).
Barite (Baryte), Val Verde County, Texas
Barite (Baryte) is a Barium Sulfate Locality: On the historic Henry Mills Ranch, 1.5 miles west of Pandale, Val Verde County Chemical Formula: BaSO4 Crystal System: Orthorhombic Specimen Size: 11.5 x 10 x 5 cm Specimen Weight: 1.04 kilograms Collection reference identification: TMM-188. Specimen in the permanent collection of the Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin.
Chalcopyrite and Tenorite closeup (Copper Ores), El Paso County, Texas
Chalcopyrite is an important Cu ore. Tenorite is found in oxidized zones. Locality: labeled as ore from the Pecos Mining Company, Sierra Diablo Range, in El Paso County, Texas. Chemical Formula: CuFeS2 (Chalcopyrite) and CuO (Tenorite) Crystal System: Tetragonal Specimen size: 5 x 5 x 3 cm Specimen weight: 375 grams Collection ID: TMM-1765 Mineral resources of the United States, Calendar Year 1909 (p. 455) reports that the Hazel Mine in the Sierra Diablo range was and important Copper and Silver producer, and earlier reports (1902) report assays of 44% Cu from the Hazel Mine.
Flint, Gillespie County, Texas
Location: Gap Creek County: Gillespie County, Texas Chemical formula: SiO2 (microcrystalline quartz) Specimen size: 5 x 4 x 2.5 inches Specimen weight: 562 grams Collection reference: TMM 1586 In the collection of the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin. Brown flint prehistoric arrowhead points (Nolan type) have been recorded from Gillespie County.
Kaolin Clay, Edwards County, Texas
Kaolin Clay (dried) Location: From the Frio Kaolin Mining Company (probably in Del Rio Formation) County: Edwards County Chemical Formula: Al2Si2O5OH4 Crystal System: Triclinic Specimen Size: 3 x 5 x 3 inches Specimen Weight: 419 grams In the Jackson School Collection at the University of Texas at Austin Collection Reference: TMM 2571
Balmorhea Blue Agate, Reeves County, Texas
Agate (variety Balmorhea Blue, polished) Locality: Reeves County Chemical Formula: SiO2 (Chalcedony, cryptocrystalline form of Silica or Quartz) Specimen size: 13.8 cm x 7.0 cm x 0.8 cm. Specimen weight: 141 grams. Specimen ID #: M-60 (2 of 2), #1137. From the McIver Agate Collection (Jackson School of Geosciences).
Vesicular Basalt, Brewster County, Texas
Basalt is a fine-grained igneous rock with generally 45-55% silica (SiO2) and less than 10% feldspathoid by volume, and where at least 65% of the rock is feldspar in the form of plagioclase. Dissolved magma gases form bubbles when erupted resulting in this characteristic texture pitted with many cavities (known as vesicles) at its surface and inside. Locality: outcrops along Texas FM 2627 near the Black Gap WMA. Mineralogy: Specimen size: 13.25 com long x 7 cm tall x 4 cm thick Specimen weight: 383 grams Specimen in the Bureau of Economic Geology collection, University of Texas at Austin.
Cinnabar with Gypsum, Terlingua Mercury District, Brewster County, Texas
Cinnabar crystal rhombahedrons on granular matrix with Gypsum spires From the Terlingua Mercury District in Brewster County, Texas Photo Field-of-View: 36.5 x 30 mm Chemical Formula: HgS Crystal System: Trigonal Most common source ore for refining elemental mercury, and is the historic source for the brilliant red or scarlet pigment termed vermilion and associated red mercury pigments. Specimen size: 15 x 7.5 x 11.5 cm Specimen weight: 944 grams Specimen Identification: TMM 3394 Specimen in the permanent collection of the Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin.
Flint, Williamson County, Texas
Location: unknown County: Williamson County, Texas Chemical formula: SiO2 (microcrystalline quartz) Specimen size: 5 x 4 x 2.5 inches Specimen weight: 760 grams Collection reference: no reference number Collected by Linda McCall. In the collection of the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin. Prehistoric flint knappers (chipping arrow and spear implements) long ago recognized that Georgetown flint was a truly superior material. They must have systematically sought out primary natural exposures and combed through downstream gravel bars in the rivers and streams along the edge of this area of Balcones Escarpment. Numerous artifacts including very large and especially thin bifaces were made from this material, some found at sites hundreds of miles from the source. For instance, several of the large Gahagan knives that were included as Early Caddo grave offerings at the George C. Davis site in Cherokee County in east Texas are made of Georgetown material. The flint is also known from Clovis caches dating to 11,000 B.C (or earlier) and in archeological contexts dating throughout prehistoric times. Georgetown flint is a fairly localized material from the Edwards Limestone formation that occurs in primary context in the only in Williamson County and probably in southern Bell County. There is, however, a very similar material found in limestone quarries in Hays County that knappers regard as a ‘close cousin’ to Georgetown flint.