Left: a Giant Serpentine Belt Hosting a Series of Chromite Pods Snakes
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A giant serpentine belt hosting As chromium became more widely a series of chromite pods used in the production of various snakes through the man-made metal alloys, the value of chromite border between Maryland and ore increased considerably. In Pennsylvania. These deposits the mid-18th century, powdered became a valued commodity crocoite (lead chromate) from worldwide, producing over the Ural Mountains was gaining 250,000 tons of chromite ore to popularity as a pigment. Louis be used for making pigments and Nicolas Vauquelin discovered resilient alloys. Minerals from that by treating this powder these deposits are some of the with hydrochloric acid he could finest examples of gem serpentine, produce chromium oxide. The crystallized chromium species, chromium could be separated by and crystallized manganese heating, and with this process minerals found to date. the exploration of uses for this Left: material could begin. Photograph The son of a flour merchant of Issac from Baltimore, Isaac Tyson Tyson, the studied geology, mineralogy, c h r o m i t e and metallurgy in France. As he barron of the world was studying, the identification for over of chromium was beginning. 40 years Tyson knew that with suitable in the 19th applications, demand would century. increase. 3 The-Vug.com Quarterly V4 #2 He returned to Baltimore, his were rich in chromite and with this studies complete. Upon his return knowledge, started buying as many he noticed chunk of rock used deposits as possible. By the time the to prop up a barrel in a Bel-Air Ural Mountains’ deposit of crocoite market and identified it as a chunk had run out, Isaac Tyson found of chromite ore. Inquiring as to himself the owner of the only major the origin of this rock led Tyson chromite district in the world. to the serpentine outcropping Tyson was the world’s only supplier near Baltimore. He realized that of chromite ore for almost 40 years, the barrens containing little land before the enormous deposits in suitable for livestock or farming, Asia Minor were found. Right: A polished section of gemmy green williamsite, grading towards purple colored chromian- antigorite; colored brown by pyroaurite, with black specks and microcrystals of chromite. Photo and collection of Jeff Weissman The-Vug.com Quarterly V4 #2 4 Among all of the mines founded by extracting from it: the Woods Isaac Tyson, the principal minerals mine. The minerals found here were the same. Chromite was are typically leaps and bounds found with and included in veins better-crystallized than the same of antigorite, lizardite, and other minerals found in the nearby serpentine minerals. The various deposits near Baltimore. mines around Baltimore, such as the Weir mine and the Choate Located immediately on the border mine, produced a combined total of Maryland and Pennsylvania is a of a little over 100,000 tons of deposit called Lowes Mine, or Line chromite ore. Pit. It consists of a discovery shaft a few feet into Pennsylvania and a One stretch of serpentine in the shaft on the state’s line, following Cecil and Lancaster counties the pod of chromite that snaked produced nearly double that and twisted to the southeast. The volume of chromite ore, even vast majority of the chromite ore though there was only one mine is found in Maryland. Above: Polished gem serpentine from the Line Pit. Left: Pennine, a rare pseudo- hexagonal variety of clinochlore. Green antigorite along with a matrix of chromite. 5.5 x 4.0 x 2.7 cm. Photograph from The Arknstone 5 The-Vug.com Quarterly V4 #2 Right: Typical platy crystal cleavage of Brucite, repaired. 8 cm Photo and collection of Jeffery Weissman This mine was a very minor The Line Pit orebody was producer of chromite ore, yet it described in depth by Samual produced some of the very finest Gordon in 1922 as an irregular, gem material from any serpentine swelling, pipe-like mass of deposit in the area. This gem, coarse massive chromite, with known as williamsite, was a small veins of chromite and popular item among lapidary magnesite extending into the artists. Unlike the area’s typical surrounding serpentine body. serpentine, this serpentine a very The grains of chromite could bright green color due to the lack grow up to 1 cm, interlocked of brown undertones. The gem in the orebody up to 3 meters material is never too abundant across. in large sizes, as the veins of white magnesite criss-cross Dravite crystals are found growing through the serpentine. Even the in the talc found at Line Pit. The typically fibrous picrolite is very crystals are deep green, and no longer bright and translucent from this than 1 centimeter. Fuchsite mica is deposit. The material keeps its found alongside members of the fibrous texture when polished, chlorite family such as clinochlore leading to a milky cat’s eye and bright purple kammererite effect. (chromian clinochlore). The-Vug.com Quarterly V4 #2 6 One variety of clinochlore, All of these mines, save known as pennine, occurs as for Woods Mine, were pseudo-hexagonal crystals relatively small deposits formed directly on chromite that produced a valuable veins. The pennine crystals at industrial commodity the Line pit grow to nearly half in Maryland for several of a centimeter tall and exhibit decades. By the time a deep green translucency. the commercial need for Some specimens showcase chromite was filled by deep green crystals of pennine the vast deposits in Asia, turning slowly into bright the Maryland mines had purple kammererite crystals, run their course. This on a matrix of solid chromite. made Maryland a crucial player on the world’s The Woods Mine is the only mineral supply, even nearby locality with world- if only for one small class brucite specimens. Other moment in time. localities in the area, such as Line Pit, only have as pearly gray brucite plates. Right: Antigorite var. Picrolite from the Line Pit. 9.6 x 6.6 x 2.6 cm Picrolite is the fiberous variety of antigorite. Typically picrolite specimens do not have the gem quality seen at Line Pit. Photo by Justin Zzyzx 7 The-Vug.com Quarterly V4 #2.