Minerals from Mont St. Hilaire
click
on image for larger view
AH-036 Polylithionite
with Serandite and Albite SOLD
(ex. Ron Waddell collection)
Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada
11 x 6 x 5.4 cm.
This large pegmatite specimen displays a nice combination of Mont Saint-Hilaire minerals. The best feature of this specimen is the 3 x 2.5 cm. crystal of the variety of Mica known as Polylithionite resting on a bed of crudely formed, salmon-colored Serandite crystals & Albite. Both the Polylithionite & the Albite exhibit extremely strong fluorescence under SWUV light. The Polylithionite emits a strong lemon-yellow fluorescence while the Albite shows a dark violet-red fluorescence. A few lustrous Analcimes can be seen on the rear of the specimen as well. There is also much Polylithionite to be found on the bottom of the specimen.
click
on image for larger view
AH-016 Eudialyte
& Natrolite on Sodalite $40
(ex. Ron Waddell collection)
Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada
specimen
size = 2.5 x 1.9 x 2 cm.
crystal size = 2.5 mm.
This attractive thumbnail mineral specimen features a triumvirate of minerals that are characteristic of Mont Saint-Hilaire. The blood-red, euhedral Eudialyte is nestled in a vug of Sodalite dusted with Natrolite, the latter two of which are intensely fluorescent. The Sodalite fluoresces orange in LWUV light while the Natrolite fluoresces green under SWUV illumination. Eudialyte rarely forms in good crystals, usually it is found embedded in its host rock, rarely showing good crystal faces and even more rarely as complete crystals
click
on image for larger view
AH-043 Carletonite (TL) $45
Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada
5.5 x 5 x 2.8 cm.
Mont Saint-Hilaire is the type and only known locality for the rare mineral Carletonite, which is immediately recognizable by its distinctive bright blue coloration. This specimen of Carletonite features crudely formed crystals which nevertheless exhibit 1 cm. and larger crystal faces. I think that for the money, this is a very modestly-priced example of this rare mineral.
click
on image for larger view
AH-031 Rhodochrosite & Elpidite on Albite SOLD
Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada
7.3 x 5.8 x 5.5 cm.
This colorful specimen includes many Elpidite crystals covering numerous dark red Rhodochrosite crystals, including one that measures 1.2 x 1.7 mm. in size, on which the growth hillocks are readily visible. This extremely attractive combination of lustrous Rhodochrosite and pale green, needle-like Elpidite rests on a blocky Albite which has Rhodochrosite crystals on all but one of its sides. This very 3-dimensional specimen is a great representation of the diversity and attractiveness of the minerals that can be found at Mont Saint-Hilaire.
click
on image for larger view
AH-047 Berthierine
on Catapleiite w/Aegerine & Microcline $90
(ex. Ron Waddell collection)
Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada
11.6 x 9 x 4 cm.
This very interesting specimen consists of many well-formed crystals of Catapleiite that have been coated by the rare mineral Berthierine, a member of the Serpentine-Kaolinite group. Berthierine is almost always found as a partial or complete replacement of Biotite, however, in this case it is primarily replacing the much more desirable mineral Catapleiite, with only one Biotite crystal, making this an unusual specimen. As is common with Berthierine replacements, the replaced crystals exhibit a greasy, sub-iridescent luster. In the vuggy part of this specimen are four well-formed, tabular microcline crystals that fluoresce a pleasing violet-red under SWUV light. This specimen also features a plethora of needle-like Aegerine crystals in the upper-left hand corner as shown in the photo.
click
on image for larger view
click
on image for larger view
AH-038 Leifite
& Aegerine on Serandite $175
(ex. R. Savard and G. Haineault collections)
Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada
3 x 3 x 3 cm.
This lustrous, double-terminated Serandite crystal plays host to a large, inverted cone-shaped crystal of the relatively rare Silicate mineral Leifite attached to one side of the crystal, as well as a flattened spray on the upper termination. The Serandite exhibits an unusual range of coloration from salmon-orange to almost pink, which can be observed as the crystal is rotated 360 degrees. Some of the Aegerine crystals on this specimen exhibit a high degree of luster. This toenail-sized specimen would be an excellent & colorful addition to anyone's mineral collection.
click
on image for larger view
AH-046 Birnessite
replacing Serandite & Rhodochrosite
with Natrolite, Calcite, Pectolite and Willemite $1,200
(ex. Ron Waddell collection)
Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada
14 x 7.5 x 5.9 cm.
It is not my tendency to be too long-winded in my mineral descriptions, however, the photos of this specimen are worthy of a thousand words. Don't worry though, I won't carry it that far. This spectacular, large divergent spray of Serandite crystals has partially altered to the Manganese Oxide mineral, Birnessite. These Birnessite-Serandite pseudomorphs are considered among the most noteworthy specimens to occur at Mont Saint-Hilaire. This specimen was collected in 1975, when the best examples of this mineral phenomenon were found. This monumental specimen also features a well-formed cluster of dark yellow Calcite crystals and another smaller cluster of light yellow Calcites. The pair of Calcite clusters exhibits strong fluorescence under both short and long wave ultraviolet light. This specimen also features a 2 x 1.5 cm. cluster of tabular Rhodochrosite crystals that are are almost completely altered to Birnessite as can be seen in the center photo. As is typical with many Serandites, this specimen is liberally encrusted with Natrolite crystals ranging from white to colorless. Among the Natrolite crystals are several Willemite crystals that exhibit both strong neon-green fluorescence and phosphorescence. This amazing specimen was one of the few specimens that were chosen from Mr. Wadell's vast collection of minerals for inclusion in the photo essay authored by Steven C. Chamberlain that appeared in volume 9, number 2 of The Mineralogical Record. A copy of the issue of The Mineralogical Record that the photo was featured in will be included with purchase.
click
on image for larger view
AH-049 Rhodochrosite
on Analcime with Aegerine SOLD
(ex. Ron Waddell collection)
Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada
5 x 3.5 x 2.2 cm.
This colorful mineral specimen features two different crystal habits of the mineral Rhodochrosite: four large pink crystals as well as several smaller aggregates of dark red Rhodochrosite aesthetically perched on a tower of Analcime crystals. This attractive specimen also features several lustrous embedded Aegerine crystals.
click
on image for larger view
AH-037 Hochelagaite
(TL) w/Pectolite & Vesuvianite $125
(ex. Ron Waddell collection)
Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada
Specimen
size = 8.5 x 6 x 2.9 cm.
Hochelagaite crystal size = 2 x 1.5 mm.
This specimen of many glassy Pectolite crystals hosts a 2 x 1.5 mm. crystal of the extremely rare Niobium-Titanium Oxide mineral Hochelagaite. The Hochelagaite crystal is located beneath the red arrow in the photo. This specimen also features Vesuvianite crystals nestled in some of the vugs.
click
on image for larger view
AH-018 Strontianite
& Pyrite with Siderite $50
(ex. Ron Waddell collection)
Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada
2.4 x 2.2 x 2.4 cm.
This superb thumbnail specimen features one of Mont Saint-Hilaire's rarer carbonate minerals, Strontianite, appearing as a pale pinkish sphere indicated by the red arrow in the photo. This well-formed, 2.5-mm. Strontianite crystal is surrounded by minute crystals of the mineral Pyrite and is flanked on both sides by crystals of the mineral Siderite. The Strontianite fluoresces bright yellowish-green when illuminated by LWUV light.
click
on image for larger view
AH-035 Dawsonite
and Sodalite $35
(ex. Ron Waddell collection)
Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada
7 x 6 x 2.5 cm.
A specimen of many highly fluorescent (bright orange under LWUV) Sodalite crystals, several of which are very well-formed. This specimen features a vug of many crystals of the rare mineral Dawsonite up to 1 mm. The orange arrow denotes where the colorless Dawsonite crystals are located, several of which can be seen protruding from the vug in the photograph on the right. This specimen also features a cluster of three Analcime crystals that measure 4 x 5 mm. on its upper right corner.
Click
here for more specimens
from Mont Saint-Hilaire
Home | Mineral Galleries | Order | Links | Contact
© 2003 - 2008 Cal Neva Mineral Co.