Holotype buddingtonite from the Sulphur Bank Quicksilver deposit, Lake County, California, was studied by XRD, IR, STEM, SEM, TGA, DTA and wet chemical analyses. Synthetic anhydrous ammonium feldspar was studied also for comparison. The holotype buddingtonite specimen (NMNH no. 11697400) contains admixtures of FeS2, anatase and, most importantly, montmorillonite. Montmorillonite is capable of reversible dehydration, and its admixture explains the zeolitic behavior previously ascribed to buddingtonite. It is concluded that buddingtonite is an anhydrous ammonium feldspar: i.e., free of zeolitic H2O, with no zeolitic properties.

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First page of Holotype buddingtonite: An ammonium feldspar without zeolitic H<sub>2</sub>O
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