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Specimen donated February 1968 by Donald C. Swanson of Houston, Texas.

Pictured: Part of a dull black striated crystal of tantalite, 2" x 1 1/2"x 7/8" inches.

Chemical Formula: (Fe,Mn)Ta₂O₆

Tantalite is a tantalum oxide mineral containing variable amounts of manganese and iron. It is the primary ore mineral of tantalum. It is used an alloying agent in metals including surgical steel and in glasses to change the index of refraction, and is used in capacitors in electronics.

Specimen purchased September 1969 from Filer’s.

Pictured: Heavy black sub-metallic coarse platy crystals of columbite from a pegmatite with glassy gray quartz and some muscovite.  Crystals are as much as 3 x 1/2" in section, and are broken along length.

Chemical Formula: (Fe,Mn)Nb₂O₆

Columbite is a niobium oxide mineral that is closely related with tantalite. The mineral contains variable iron and manganese. Niobium is used as an alloying agent in jet engines, rockets, and structural materials. At low temperatures (<9.3 K) it displays superconductivity and is used in particle accelerators and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers.

Specimen donated November 1969 by Chas. Blackburn.

Pictured: Granular, pink-rose eudialyte associated with columnar aegirine-augite, magnesian arfvedsonite, milky albite, and microcline. The amorphous brown accessory is thorite.

Chemical Formula: Na₄(Ca,Ce)₂(Fe,Mn,Y)ZrSi₈O₂₂(OH,Cl)₂

Eudialyte is a rare cyclosilicate mineral and is a minor ore of zirconium. Industrial use of this mineral is limited; however, it can contain uranium and lead make it a useful geochronometer.

Specimen donated January 1971 by Jacques Grenier.

Pictured: Several greenish yellow prismatic crystals of niocalite in calcite-rich matrix. One is 3/4" long, one of the largest ever found.

Chemical Formula: Ca₁₄Nb₂(Si₂O₇)₄O₆F₂

Niocalite is a rare niobium sorosilicate mineral first described by Dr. E.H. Nickel in drill core from the Oka carbonatite in Quebec.

Specimen donated May 6^th, 1971 by Dr. G. Gordon Suffel

Pictured: Carbonatite with several crystals pyrochlore up to about 8mm including one very well-formed octahedron.

Chemical Formula: (Na,Ca)₂Nb₂O₆(OH,F)

Pyrochlore is a complex oxide mineral containing significant amounts of niobium. It is the principal ore of niobium, with the three largest niobium mines in the world producing from pyrochlore deposits. The pyrochlore structure is currently being studied for uses in electronics and superconductors.

Specimen donated in 2006 by Arnim Walter.

Pictured: Large black crystal of wolframite.

Chemical Formula: (Fe,Mn)WO₄

Wolframite is an iron-manganese tungstate mineral and is an important ore of tungsten. Tungsten is used as filaments, in tools as tungsten carbide, and as chemical catalysts and lubricants. Tungsten is a refractory element and has the highest melting temperature of any element (3422°C). This allows for material containing tungsten to be used in high temperature applications.

Specimen donated December 13^th, 1968 by Dr. R.W. Hutchinson.

Pictured: Nearly pure pollucite with a milky colour.

Chemical Formula: (Cs,Na)₂(Al₂Si₄O₁₂) · 2H₂O

Pollucite is a cesium-rich zeolite mineral that is found in association with lithium pegmatites. Cesium is used as a drilling fluid. The majority of the world’s pollucite reserves (82%) are located at the Tanco mine in Manitoba, Canada.

Specimen donated December 1956 or January 1957 by Dr. R.W. Hutchinson.

Pictured: Nearly massive lepidolite with albite var. cleavelandite along one edge and trace quartz.

Chemical Formula: K(Li,Al)₃(Al,Si,Rb)₄O₁₀(F,OH)₂

Lepidolite is a phyllosilicate that is found in association with lithium-bearing pegmatites. It is a secondary ore of lithium and major source of rubidium. Lithium is known for its use in battery technologies and is an increasingly important commodity as Canada transitions to a green economy. Rubidium is used in atomic clocks for the telecommunications industry.

Specimen donated April 4^th, 1974 by Dr. R.W. Hutchinson.

Pictured: Coarse grey-green spodumene with albite var. cleavelandite and quartz.

Chemical Formula: LiAlSi₂O₆

Spodumene is a lithium-bearing pyroxene and the principle ore or lithium in hard rock deposits. Spodumene occurs in pegmatite deposits. Approximately half of current lithium production is from hard rock lithium deposits consisting mainly of spodumene.

Specimen collected approximately 1999 and donated in 2023 by Dr. R.L. Linnen.

Pictured: Very large hexagonal white beryl. White beryl specimens from Tanco are Cesium-rich.

Chemical Formula: (Na,Cs,K,Fe,H₂O)Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈

Cesium beryl is a very rare form of the cyclosilicate mineral beryl. The beryl group includes precious gems such as emerald and aquamarine.

Specimen collected approximately 1999 and donated in 2023 by Dr. R.L. Linnen.

Pictured: Large MQM mineralization with columbite-tantalite.

The microcline to quartz-mica alteration style (termed MQM) is a distinct style of alteration known to host high grade tantalum mineralization at the Tanco mine in Bernic Lake, Manitoba.

Specimen collected approximately 1999 and donated in 2023 by Dr. R.L. Linnen.

Pictured: Very coarse grained columbite-tantalite mineralization.

Chemical Formula: (Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)₂O₆

Col-tan mineralization includes the oxides columbite and tantalite which are rich in niobium and tantalum, respectively. No mining of col-tan currently occurs in Canada due to environmental regulations, although one mine has been proposed in British Columbia.

Specimen collected approximately 1999 and donated in 2023 by Dr. R.L. Linnen.

Pictured: Dendritic columbite in hematitic alteration of feldspar (cleavelandite).

Chemical Formula: (Fe,Mn)Nb₂O₆

Columbite is a dark brown to black mineral oxide containing niobium. Dendritic crystal growth forms when crystallization is rapid, and are often conditions associated with disequilibrium.