Dolomite crystals from the Buckwheat Dolomite in Franklin. Field of view is 0.5 mm in maximum dimension. Dolomite is a common mineral at Franklin and Sterling Hill. It is also found in the Franklin Marble. Much dolomite is probably unrecognized as such.
Much local dolomite is massive, white to gray, gray-brown, and nondescript in appearance.
The only published analysis is by Yau et al. The paucity of analytical data precludes general statements about solid solution towards ankerite, minrecordite, and kutnahorite. Compositional data given herein under kutnahorite suggest very little Mg-Mn solid solution in the specimens studied to date. This was found in a large vein-like mass in the west wall of the Buckwheat Open Cut. This dolomite is well known to collectors of micromounts, because it is very vuggy, and at least eighteen well-crystallized mineral species have been reported from its vugs, as noted and illustrated by Peters et al.