RESEARCH PAPER - PINK, PURPLE DOLOMITES = COBALTOANYa know what ?
I truly think i'm onto something.
I feel many have missed the " boat " on just assuming dolomites have different colors.
Pinks, Purples, Rose, Greens, - Yet... so few ever wondered why.
There's lots of " useless " info speaking about the colors of dolomite - but just assume the
dolomite comes in many colors. Yet.. as most now know - colors reflect chemical changes.
Presence of something else is there -
In this spectrometry - research paper - They deliver the answer - as to why there's a specific - pink, purple - color presence in dolomites.
= Cobalt. The natural presence of magnesite-spherocobaltite solid solution with distinct chemical zoning occurs as crystals in the country rock. The
pinkish-purple dolomites are mainly colored by CoO, whose concentrations ranged from 0.966 to 6.111 wt.%.
Based on
UV-Vis spectroscopy, cobaltoan dolomite showed broad characteristic absorption bands at 531.5 nm, which varied as the concentrations of CoO increased. The origin of the color is related to the electronic transition of Co
2+ and charge transfer between the ions.
Cobaltoan dolomite is a
pink to purple variety of dolomite. Similar to cobaltocalcilte, the gem is popular for its striking purplish pink color caused by the presence of cobalt in the crystal structure [
1]. Dolomite is widely used in daily life, including in building materials, ceramics, and inorganic nonmetals. The mineral has given rise to several professional fields of study
[
2]. However,
cobaltoan dolomite, a Co-rich member of the dolomitic group of minerals in carbonates, is currently the only dolomite used as a gem material in the world. Minerals of the dolomite group, with the general formula AB(CO
3), comprise common phases, such as ankerite and kutnahorite
[
3]. The ideal chemical formula is
CaMg[CO3]2 [
4]. Dolomites hosting Me
2+, such as those with Zn and Co substituting for the octahedral Mg
2+, are commonly found in the supergene oxidation zones of sulfide deposits [
5]. Co ions occurs in dolomite in octahedral coordination [
6].
LINK - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/12/5/639/htm Now... there are two underground mines near the Driftwood. Paradise and ....Mineral King ?
Each of these have the -
purple startigraphy showing -
Same goes for a bornite deposit on the Bruce range just below Driftwood - lower elevation.
If this purple lens that apparently is over 100m+ thick...
surfaces near Driftwoods western deposit....
And if dolo rock is broken - pink coloration appears, then....
Yes, the colored dolo rocks shoulds be tested for - cobalt.
One might be able to access the purple stratigraphy via - historical mine shafts.
Tunnel mine the purple lense...? If i recall - the one research paper revealed the purple lense ran in parael under ground inline with Mt Nelson.
Throw in the - Purcell Group - that strongly relates to - washington's and Idah's
cobalt belts - and well.... what if ?
What if....
my theory is correct ?
The research paper excerpts above in post - speak volumes.
Strongly supports a potential cobalt mineral credit within - pink, purple, colored dolomites.
What are we doing on the French Gap - north of, Driftwood.
We should be checking out the colored dolomites.
Cheers....