Pseudomorphs and Casts Minerals Gallery M&W Minerals

Pseudomorphs and Casts Gallery

On this gallery, are gathered all the specimens on this website which are considered pseudomorphs. A pseudomorph is a mineral or mineral compound which is in an atypical form, which has resulted from a substitution process in which the appearance and dimensions of one mineral have been retained, but the original mineral is replaced by another. The name literally means "false form". There are essentially 3 kinds of pseudmorphs which are the following:

Substitution Pseudomorphs: In these specimens, one mineral has been completely chemically substituted by another mineral. The shape of the original mineral is retained, but color, hardness, and density are usually different (and often luster).

Alteration Pseudomorphs: In these specimens, only a partial substitution has occurred. This leads to a specimen with a layer of the new mineral with an interior of the original mineral with the shape of the original mineral.

Perimorphs: In these specimens, one mineral has been coated by another and the original has dissolved. This usually leads to a specimen with a mix of surfaces both of the new mineral and the surfaces of the dissolved mineral. A gray area is where this

dissolution is not natural. A case in point, Michigan Copper specimens are often found as casts after Calcite. In some cases, the dissolution has occurred due to acidic natural solutions but in other cases the Calcite has been purposely etched out with acid. Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between the two.

Casts: In these specimens, a mineral has formed but it's shape has been determined by the environment in which it formed. Two examples are geodes and Michigan Copper Skulls and Amygdules.

minerals in alphabetical order by first letter only
(this is the primary mineral of the specimen - the pseudomorph may be a secondary mineral)

click on the title link or photo to proceed to a specimen's page

B

4604 Calcite pseudomorph after Glauberite

Camp Verde, Camp Verde District, Yavapai Co., Arizona
9 x 6.7 x 7.1 cm
$45

3556 Barite, Quartz

Washington Co., Missouri
8.6 x 9.2 x 7.6 cm
$25

C

6200 Calcite Crystals with Small Casts Santa Eulalia District, Mun. de Aquiles Serdan, Chihuahua, Mexico 1970s 14.1 x 12.2 x 7.1 cm $50	5906 Marcasite Included and on the Surface of Calcite Crystals, Small Casts after Unkown Crystals Dornburg Mine, Ramsbeck, Meschede, Sauerland, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Ex. Renaud Vochten, purchased in 1970 10.6 x 7.2 x 2.6 cm $55	5878 Chalcocite Crystals on Massive Chaclcocite with Cast Wheal Pendarves, Killivose, Camborne, Cornwall, England 4.4 x 3.7 x 3.3 cm $100
5522 Celestine Included In Calcite and Calcite Casts after Celestine, Posssible Jarosite Mina Mojina, Rancho de Mojina, Ricardo Flores Magon, Mun. de Buenaventura, Chihuahua, Mexico UV Fluorescent Ex. Robert Gannon, 1960s 14.4 x 12.5 x 6.7 cm $175	5460 Chrysocolla Pseudomoprh after Selenite Ray Mine, Scott Mountain area, Mineral Creek Dist., Dripping Spring Mts, Pinal Co., Arizona from 1976 find, Ex. Flying Pan Minerals, Ex. Storm Mountain Minerals, Ex. Paul Cowan 2.9 x 2.7 x 1.5 cm $75	5183 Clinoptilolite, Quartz Pseudomorph after Anhydrite, Scepter Quartz, Calcite, Celandonite Planalto, Alto Uruguai region, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Ex. Steve Pullman purchased from Luiz Menezes in 1990 at Tucson 6.1 x 3.7 x 2.6 cm $75
4994 Calcite with Unidentified Pink Alteration, Chalcopyrite Sweetwater Mine, Viburnum Trend Dist., Reynolds Co., Missouri 4.2 x 1.9 x 1.5 cm $40	4057 Quartz on Twinned Calcite Crystals on Chalcedony Pseudomorph after Aragonite Cadman Quarry, Monroe, Snowmish Co., Washington Ex. George Katzmarek 5.9 x 5 x 4.7 cm $45	3371 Chamosite Pseudomorph after Almandine Spurr Mountain Mine, Imperial Heights, Baraga Co., Michigan 5.2 x 4.7 x 4.8 cm $35
3348 Hexagonal Calcite on Dolomite and Chalcopyrite Casts after Galena Sweetwater Mine, Ellington, Viburnum Trend District, Reynolds County, Missouri, USA 11.7 x 5.4 x 3.6 cm Largest XL is 2.6 x 1.2 x 0.9 cm $50	2243 Crinoid Stems Bloomington,Monroe Co., Inidiana, USA Priror to 1975 9.4 x 3.5 x 4.2 cm $35

D

6108 Dolomite Pseudomorph/Epimorph after Calcite

Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
1960s
9.5 x 5.8 x 3.5 cm
The Dolomite is approximately 2 mm thick.
$70

6021 Datolite Crystals and Smoky Quartz with Pseudomorphic Casts after Calcite

Bor Pit (Boron Pit), Dal'negorsk B deposit, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Far-Eastern Region, Russia
12.2 x 7.5 x 4.7 cm
$200

5853 Datolite and Quartz with Casts after Calcite

Bor Pit (Boron Pit), Dal'negorsk B deposit, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Far-Eastern Region, Russia
10.8 x 8.5 x 4.3 cm
$600

E

6247 Ernstite Pseudomorph after Childrenite

Boa Esperanca claim, Linopolis District, Divino das Laranjeiras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Al(PO₄)(OH,O)₂·H₂O
3.9 x 2.6 x 0.8 cm
$85

F

5467 Fluorite on and within Quartz Pseudomorphs after Calcite Coated with Montromite

Prospectors Delight Mine (Black Knife Mine), Cuchillo Negro Dist., Sierra Cuchillo, Sierra Co., New Mexico
Ex. Wright's Rock Shop
10.8 x 7.2 x 6.5 cm
$100

G

4575 Iridescent Baculites

Pierre Shale, Cretacous Period, South Dakota
Ex. Vivian Randall
5.8 x 3.4 x 1.3 cm
$25

L

6222 Chalcedony Petrified Wood Limb Cast

Oligocene. John Day Formation. South Fork of the Crooked River, Crook County, Oregon
Ex. Robert Gannon
9.4 x 1.8 x 1.4 cm
The average diameter of tehe cast is approximately 1 cm. The two dimensions for the width of the specimen included the curve of the specimen and the side branch.
$50

5330 Limonite Pseudomorph after Marcasite and Spahlerite with Dolomite and Calcite

Fairdale Quarry (I-39 Quarry), Rochelle, Ogle Co., Illinois
5.1 x 5.2 x 4.9 cm
Largest crystal measures 1.2 cm across.
$45

M

5920 Malachite and Malachite Pseudomorh after Azurite Bisbee, Warren District, Mule Mts, Cochise Co., Arizona 4.8 x 3.8 x 3.9 cm $35	5868 Malachite Pseudomorph after Azurite, Secondary Growth Malachite Sacramento pit, Sacramento Hill, Bisbee, Warren District, Mule Mts, Cochise Co., Arizona Early 1900s 8.9 x 6.8 x 4.7 cm $500	5445 Malachite Pseudomorph after Azurite Sacramento pit, Sacramento Hill, Bisbee, Warren District, Mule Mts, Cochise Co., Arizona Early 1900s 3.6 x 2.7 x 2.2 cm $250
5027 Malachite on Quartz with Casts after Calcite, Minor Chalcopyrite Mina El Cobre, Zacatecas, Mexico Ex. Robert Gannon 7.8 x 6.3 x 4.2 cm $45	4629 Malachite Pseudomorph after Azurite Tsumeb, Namibia 5.2 x 2.8 x 1.6 cm $150	2887 Malachite Pseudomorph after Azurite Tsumeb, Namibia 3.8 x 2.9 x 2.6 cm $250
2508 Malachite Pseudomorph after Azurite Mina Milipillas, Milipillas, Sonora, Mexico 6.3 x 5 x 1.3 cm $75	2062 Mimetite on Goethite pseudomorphs after Calcite Megala Pefka Mine No. 28, Lavrion (Laurion; Laurium) District, Attiki (Attica) Prefecture, Greece Ex. Steve Pullman 6.2 x 6 x 1.5 cm $50

P

5328 Pyrite Pseudomorph after Marcasite, Double Terminated Calcite and Quartz Crystals, Dolomite Nanisivik Mine, Nanisivik, Baffin Island, Nunavut Territory, Canada Ex. A. E. Seaman Museum, Lance Hampel collection 15 x 9.8 x 6.4 cm $375	5316 Prehnite Pseudomorphs Boyleston Quarry, Barrhead, Strathclyde, Scotland Ex. H. R. McBroom, Acquired 1978 13.6 x 8.6 x 8.5 cm $100	5087 Plumbogummite Pseduomorph after Pyromorphite Yangshuo Mine, Yangshuo Co., Guilin Pref., Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China UV Fluorescent PbAl₃(PO₄)(PO₃OH)(OH)₆ 6.5 x 4.3 x 3.4 cm $200
5044 Pyromorphite Pseudomorph after Cerussute Higher Roughton Gill (Balliway Rigg), Roughton Gill, Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, England 5.6 x 4.3 x 3.8 cm $150	4760 Pyromorphite on Quartz with Casts after Barite Williams Corners, Wheatley Mines, Phoenixville Mining dist., Schuylkill Twp., Chester Co., Pennsylvania 9.8 x 6.2 x 5.2 cm $75	4104 Polished Petrified Wood (Chalcedony / Quartz) Blue Forest, Eden Valley, Sweetwater Co., Wyoming Pre 1975 10.4 x 7.3 x 1.1 cm $25
1663 Petrified Wood Montana 10.5 x 8.4 x 3.8 cm $15	338 Pyrite pseudomorph after Pyrrhotite Zacatecas, Mexico 8 x 5.7 x 4 cm $50

Q

6105 Quartz Pseudomorph/Epimorph after Hemimorphite Mapimi, Durango, Mexico 1970s 12.6 x 9.6 x 4.7 cm $100	5977 Hematite Pseudomorph after Epidote with Quartz Bessemer Claim, Bessemer Ridge, Green Mountain, North Bend, King Co., Washington Ex. Steve Pullman, Ex. David Shannon 6.8 x 3.8 x 2 cm $50	5915 Quartz Epimorph after Fluorite Silverton, San Juan Co., Colorado from Rock & Minerals Denver Auction, Ex. George Witters 11.1 x 6.8 x 4.2 cm $100
5908 Quartz Pseudomorph after Barite Gravel Hill Mine (Cliff Iron Mine; Penhale Iron Mine), Perran Iron Lode, Perranzabuloe, St Agnes Dist., Cornwall, England Ex. Steve Pullman purchased from Nick Carruth, 2/1997 6.8 x 6.4 x 4.9 cm $60	5903 Double Terminated Smoky Quartz, Quartz Pseudomorph after Aegirine Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada 3.3 x 2.2 x 2 cm $55	5490 Smoky Quartz Pseudomorph Bor Pit (Boron Pit), Dal'negorsk B deposit, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Far-Eastern Region, Russia 7.8 x 4 x 2.8 cm $150
5263 Smoky Quartz, Hematite, Copper Stained Chalcedony with Pseudomophs and Casts Mexico (likely Concepcio del Oro, Zacatecas, Mexico) Ex. Robert Gannon 6.5 x 5.8 x 6.4 cm Uprght crystal measures 4.5 cm tall. $75	5064 Quartz and Hematite Pseudomorph after Epidote Bessemer Claim, Bessemer Ridge, Green Mountain, North Bend, King Co., Washington Ex. Steve Pullman 7.7 x 3.8 x 2.2 cm $50	4919 Quartz Pseudomorph after Goethite Stalactit Growths with Attached Flint John Nethers property, Flint Ridge, Hopewell Twp., Muskingum Co., Ohio Collected by J. Medici 6.8 x 6.7 x 6.3 cm The individual stalactites measure 5 to 7 mm in diameter.
4857 Quartz Pseudomorph after Anhydrite OS pocket, Ouray, Ouray District, San Juan Mts, Ouray Co., Colorado 13.7 x 5.3 x 1.3 cm $200	3111 Quartz Pseudomorph after Poker Chip Calcite Guanajuato, Mexico 14 x 12.6 x 7.3 cm $75

S

6244 Siderite Pseudomorph after Calcite Santa Eulalia District, Mun. de Aquiles Serdan, Chihuahua, Mexico Ex. E. Morales, purchased at Tucson Show, 1983 9.5 x 7.1 x 4.6 cm $75	6161 Shattuckite, Malachite Kaokoveld Plateau, Kunene Region, Namibia 5.4 x 3.7 x 2.9 cm $85	6143 Smithsonite variety: Turkey Fat Pseudomorph after Dolomite Philadelphia Mine, Rush, Rush Creek District, Marion Co., Arkansas 4.7 x 2.8 x 2.2 cm $35
5395 Smithsonite Pseudomorh after Dolomite Monte Cristo Mine, Rush, Rush Creek District, Marion Co., Arkansas 5.4 x 5 x 1.4 cm $50	4408 Smoky Quartz with Included Hematite, Goethite Pseudomorphs after Siderite, Microcline Teller Co., Colorado 15.8 x 6.6 x 4.6 cm $85	4356 Sphalerite variety Ruby Jack, Calcite casts Cleator Moor Iron Mines, Cleator Moor, West Cumberland Iron Field, Cumbria, England 6.4 x 5.2 x 4.1 cm $100