Faujasite, Limberg bei Sasbach, Kaiserstuhl, Baden (Germany) 
The Limberg quarries are the type location for Faujasite. It was first mentioned by Blum in 1837, but misidentified as Apophyllite which does not occur at the Limberg. The first description as a new mineral was given by Damour in 1842.  Faujasite  occurs in small zones at  the limburgite of quarry I.,  forming small octahedrons from  mostly less than 0.8 mm and often much smaller.  Larger crystals up to about 2 mm have been collected  from Quarry II., as reported by Knop in 1892 and from Quarry VI. (Lorent, 1933) .  Of the members of the Faujasite-series,  all  the Faujasite-Na, -Mg and -Ca are present.  In a recently (2005) collected sample a  single crystal was analyzed  by K. Belendorff containing  Ca++ as the dominating cation but  Mg++ and Na+ are also present. Faujasite is associated with Phillipsite in the same cavity and less frequent with Offretite. Dolomite and Calcite may also  be present, also Montmorillonite and sometimes Chabazite, which is a rare species at Limberg. 
Limberg

Faujasite

Phillipsite

Chabazite

Offretite

Hyalite

Dolomite

Calcite

Aragonite

Montmorillonite

Paragenesis

Literature
Faijasit schwarz
Home Faujasite-Ca from Quarry II., coated with black oxides.  Field of view ~2.5 mm


Faujasit_Druse

stufe

Vug coated with Faujasite. Field of  view about 10 mm. 6x9 cm Specimen of Limburgite from Quarry II with large (1.5 to 2 mm) Faujasite-Ca crystals

Faujsit_pHILLIPSIT

fAUJASIT_ROSA

Hemisphere of Phillipsite and a rare non-coated Faujasite octaeder. Field of view about 2 mm. Faujsaite octaders with Phillipsite hemispheres and mushromm like offretite- aggregates. Field of view about 2.5 mm.

zWILLING

dRILLING

Faujasite-twin (spinell-law) with coating. Field of view about  1.5 mm.. Very rare twice twinned Faujasite. Field og view about 1.5 mm

FAUJASIT_PHILLIPSIT

KANTEN

Hemispheres of Phillipsite and coated Faujasite octaeder. Field of view about 1.5  mm. Faujasite, partly twinned with transparent coating, white on the edges, with Phillipsite. Field of view about  4 mm.

The Limberg at Mindat.org The Limberg as a Geotope  with a map The Limberg for tourists
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© Volker Betz (2010). All rights reserved.