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CRYSTALLIZATION OF ‘POCKET’ BERTHIERINE FROM THE PULSIFER GRANITIC PEGMATITE, POLAND, MAINE, USA

Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., 20560, USA

^* E-mail address of corresponding author: wisem{at}si.edu

A new occurrence of berthierine has been found in the Pulsifer granitic pegmatite, near Auburn, Maine. Berthierine was found in miarolitic cavities (‘pockets’) as aggregates of radial platy crystals with albite, as fracture-fillings in microcline and as fine-grained anhedral flakes with muscovite. Berthierine samples from all associations are depleted in Mg, but show variable enrichment in Mn. The textural relationships of the berthierine assemblage indicate that its formation is probably related to the dissolution of microcline in the presence of a low-temperature, neutral to alkaline, Fe-rich hydrothermal solution. This mode of occurrence is in direct contrast to the typical formation of berthierine in granitic pegmatites that is generally related to the alteration of cordierite-group minerals.

Key Words: Berthierine • Granitic Pegmatite • Miarolitic Cavity • Hydrothermal Fluids • Pulsifer • Maine