Erythrite with Talmessite

Item Description

Please note: This specimen was labeled as Talmessite with Erythrite. With that said, the white crystals on this piece do not resemble Talmessite crystals that I've seen from Bou Azzer before, but they are quite similar to Talmessite crystals I've seen from the Gold Hill Mine in Utah, and the Valgraveglia locality in Liguria, Italy. They are somewhat thin and fibrous, though they could be thin blades that are only turned on their side, so they resemble needles or fibers. If these are not Talmessite, I suppose it's possible that these white crystals could be Picropharmacolite, but I can't say for certain without analysis. If there are any Bou Azzer experts or Moroccan mineral experts out there, please send us a message and let us know your input. With that said, the piece most certainly hosts small, intense reddish-purple colored crystals of Erythrite measuring up to about 2 mm on matrix. The piece comes with an old label from Al McGuinness, and I trust his labeling as Al was well-known for accurately identifying his minerals.