And this is the first and best crystal Josh pulled from this spectacular pocket.

14 x 13 x 7 cm

Just want to add a few pics of finds from this past weekend.
One nice little tessin and a chunk of quartz with the pretty red rutile
right next to some of the schorl. There are also some little dark needles in the quartz.

Here are a couple lepidocrocite included crystals Josh has found in Raleigh.

Sure it looks like it "could" be, but I'm wondering how you "know" it's lepidocrocite?

Oh yeah, I know, it sure looks like a form of lepidocrocite, and that would satisfy a lot of folks. It is very pretty.
And the environment the crystals were found is certainly suitable.
I was wondering about it with the crystal I posted on the Wake County recent thread in "What Did You Find". The red "blebs" have red, and some darker black to brown, needles coming out of them.
I found a dozen sites on the net that claimed that just recently the needles in their quartz with similar inclusions had been positively identified as Lepidocrosite.
So, of course, since Lepidocrocite is rare, these crystals would be worth more to the collector.
It would make me very happy if I could say the crystals we are finding are included? with Lepidocrocite.
But even though he seems to be basing his statements on research from the year 2000, Amir of "The Quartz Page" seems to be absolutely skeptical about most claims of Lepidocrocite with a final statement, and I quote, " I don't know of any studies in which lepidocrocite has been positively identified."
Tests usually come up Hematite with Rutile and Goethite runners up.
I'd say it needs to go on the long and getting longer list of specimens that need testing.
Which will probably never happen.

I have said crystals and have an interest in having these and others from the area tested. Who else has minerals to be tested? Can we do a RHL based test and post all of the findings here. It would be great to share the wonders of wake county with the peoples of the ol' interwebs

So I've got that piece soaking to maybe clean it up some more.
I haven't got any real good pics of the "white", or light-colored needles but here's a few for starters.
I did find a real pretty little patch of red crystals. The longest one is almost 3mm.
The last two pics are from each side of the red patch.
And it looks like somebody with the initials "S.L." signed the last pic.

Here's some good 2016 smokies.