Strontioginorite

specimen number:
9302388

location:
Kohnstein Quarry, Niedersachswerfen, Harztor, Nordhausen, Thuringia, Germany

description:
The top of this matrix is covered by glassy gemmy crystals of this rare mineral measuring to 3.0 cm in size. In good condition, an excellent example for the species.

The Kohnstein Quarry, located near Niedersachswerfen and Nordhausen in Thuringia, Germany, has a long industrial history of lime burning and small-scale mining dating back to at least the 14th century (with commercial large-scale extraction expanding significantly around 1917 under BASF). The underground mining operations and tunnels were largely repurposed in the mid-1930s for military storage and subsequently converted into the notorious Mittelwerk underground V-2 rocket factory utilizing forced labor during World War II. Commercial gypsum and anhydrite extraction continued postwar under various state and private operators until the quarry works were finally closed in the early 2000s. Geologically, the deposit is situated within thick Upper Permian (Zechstein) evaporite sequences, primarily composed of massive anhydrite and secondary gypsum formed via hydration. Within pockets and fractures of these sulfate rocks, circulating fluids rich in borates and alkaline earths deposited an exceptional suite of rare minerals, including strontioginorite (a hydrated calcium strontium borate) which typically occurs as delicate, water-clear to white lath-like or tabular crystal sprays.

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