Uraninite, “Gummite”, Zircon var. Cyrtolite: Ruggles Mine, Grafton, Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA

Species: Uraninite, “Gummite”, Zircon var. Cyrtolite
Locality: Ruggles Mine, Grafton, Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA
Dimensions: 10.2 x 5.4 x 12 cm.

Excellent large, colorful, very rich specimen of the classic “gummite” assemblage from the Ruggles mine in New Hampshire. Black uraninite, brown cyrtolite zircon, and secondary uranium minerals including schoepite, kasolite, fourmarieite, and others are scattered in a pegmatite matrix. This is from the “major find” of this material in the late 1940’s, and good large examples like this are quite tough to come by these days. Measures ~160,000 CPM on my Ludlum Model 3 Counter with the 44-9 probe. Rare!!