In 1958, the International Mineralogical Association was founded. The following year, the Association established the Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names to bring consistent guidelines to the naming of new minerals. Under the commission’s guidelines, to name a new mineral, it is necessary to: (1) prove it’s a new mineral, (2) prove it’s not an existing species, (3) analyze the material, (4) prepare a formal proposal and name, (5) if accepted, publish a scientific paper describing the new mineral species, and (6) provide the original specimen (Type Specimen) to a museum or university. Today, there are over 5820 recognized mineral species with an average of 100-200 added yearly.There are around 2270 mineral species recognized in the United States. Of those, 883 are type locality species, meaning the source of an original type specimen is located in the United States. New Mexico, the fifth largest state in the United States is home to 724 confirmed mineral species, including 19 type locality species (Table 1).
Bernard Elgey Leake Scottish geologist who was chairman of the IMA subcommittee to revise amphibole nomenclature
Galileiite Na3Fe2+Fe2+11(PO4)9
Grant meteorite, Cibola County (discovered 1929, fall date unknown)
1996, published 1997
Galileo Galilei, In honor of his astronomical work
Georgechaoite NaKZr[Si3O9]·2H2O
Wind Mountain, Cornudas Mountains, Otero County
1985
George Yanji Chao; Professor of Mineralogy at Carleton Uni- versity, Ottawa, for his work on zirconium silicates
Goldmanite Ca3V3+2(SiO4)3
Sandy Mine, Laguna subdistrict, Cibola County
1964
Marcus Isaac Goldman, USGS geologist who studied the Entrada Sandstone, host rock at the type locality
Grantsite (Na,Ca)2+x(V5+,V4+)6O16·4H2O
F-33 Mine, East Grants Ridge Mining District, Cibola County; Parco No. 23 Mine, Grand County, Utah
1964
Grants, New Mexico; Location where mineral was found
Hendersonite (Ca,Sr)1.3V6O16·6H2O
Nelson Point mine, Shiprock District, San Juan County; J J Mine, Uravan Mining District, Montrose County, Colorado
1962
Edward Porter Henderson; Curator of Meteorites at the Smithsonian Institution, who also contributed to the knowl- edge of the mineralogy of U–V deposits
Lannonite Mg2Ca4Al4(SO4)8F8·24H2O
Lone Pine Mine, Wilcox Mining District, Catron County
1983
Dan Lannon; Discovered tel- lurium in the Wilcox district in 1889 and staked the Tellurium Mine claim in 1893
Maxwellite NaFe3+(AsO4)F
Squaw Creek Mine, Taylor Creek Mining District, Catron County
1987, published 1991
Charles Henry Maxwell; USGS geologist and mineralogist who studied the Taylor Creek district
Metatyuyamunite Ca(UO2)2(VO4)2·3H2O
Laguna Mining District, New Mexico; Haystack Mine, Ambrosia Lake subdistrict, McKinley County; Shiprock District, San Juan County; Mesa No. 1 Mine, White Ash Peak, Lukachukai Mining District, Apache County, Arizona
1953 (IMA grandfathered)
Tyuyamunite was named in 1912 prefix meta- added, indicating a dehydration relationship to tyuyamunite; Tyuyamunite named for the Tyuya- Muyun Massif, Kyrgyzstan
Meurigite-K KFe3+8(PO4)6(OH)7·6.5H2O
Chino Mine, Santa Rita Mining District, Grant County
1996, the K added in 2009
Sir John Meurig Thomas crystal chemist specializing in solid-state chemistry and catalysts
Plumbojarosite Pb0.5Fe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6
Cookes Peak Mining District, Luna County
1902 (IMA grandfathered)
composition with dominant lead and relationship to jarosite
Rajite Cu(Te4+2O5)
Lone Pine Mine, Wilcox Mining District, Catron County
1978, published 1979
Dr. Robert Allen Jenkins, geologist with Phelps Dodge, who found the first samples
Ramsdellite Mn4+O2
Lake Valley Mining District, Sierra County
1943 (IMA grandfathered)
Lewis Stephen Ramsdell; Mineralogy professor at the University of Michigan, who first described the mineral
Raydemarkite MoO3·H2O
Summit group, Cookes Peak Mining District, Luna County
2022, not yet published
Ramon DeMark; New Mexico mineral collector extraordinaire, presenter at every New Mexico Mineral Symposium ever held, and all-round gentleman
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad; Conducted exploration and development of New Mexico uranium deposits, owned property where mineral was discovered
Scrutinyite α-PbO2
Sunshine No. 1 adit, Blanchard Mine, Hansonburg District, Socorro County,
1988
Scrutiny Refers to the care required to make the initial identification of the mineral
Tellurobismuthite Bi2Te3
Little Mildred mine (Green mine), Sylvanite Mining District, Hidalgo County; Mosnap Mine, Moisesberg Mines, Fyresdal, Vestfold og Telemark, Norway; Boly Field Mine, Dahlonega, Lumpkin County, Georgia
1815 (IMA grandfathered)
Tellurium and bismuth; Name reflects composition
Wilcoxite MgAl(SO4)2F · 17H2O
Lone Pine Mine, Wilcox Mining District, Catron County
1979, published 1983
William Wilcox; Discoverer of the Wilcox Mining District
Windmountainite ◻Fe3+2Mg2Si8O20(OH)2 · 8H2O
Wind Mountain, Cornudas Mountains, Otero County
2019, published 2020
Wind Mountain; Type locality
Figure 1: General map of New Mexico showing the localities of the type minerals. Galileiite, shown in red, was found in a meteorite sample and not related to minerals in the region.
×Figure 1: General map of New Mexico showing the localities of the type minerals. Galileiite, shown in red, was found in a meteorite sample and not related to minerals in the region.
Photo 1: Maxwellite. Squaw Creek Mine, Taylor Creek Mining District, Catron County, New Mexico. Specimen from the collection of Ray Demark. Photograph by Michael C. Michayluk. FOV 2.0 mm.
×Photo 1: Maxwellite. Squaw Creek Mine, Taylor Creek Mining District, Catron County, New Mexico. Specimen from the collection of Ray Demark. Photograph by Michael C. Michayluk. FOV 2.0 mm.
Photo 2: Scrutinyite. Snake Pit Mine, Mex-Tex Mine, Bingham, Hansonburg District, Socorro County, New Mexico. Specimen in and photograph by Gianfranco Ciccolini collection. FOV 1.7 mm.
×Photo 2: Scrutinyite. Snake Pit Mine, Mex-Tex Mine, Bingham, Hansonburg District, Socorro County, New Mexico. Specimen in and photograph by Gianfranco Ciccolini collection. FOV 1.7 mm.
Keywords:
Mineralogy, type locations
pp. 22-24
42nd New Mexico Mineral Symposium
November 11-13, 2022, Socorro, NM
Print ISSN: 2836-7294 Online ISSN: 2836-7308
