Attractive mass of compact crystallized purple tremolite. This is a variety of the species sometimes called hexagonite. specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark.Located in St. Lawrence County, New York, the Balmat mining district has a rich industrial history centered on zinc and talc extraction that began in the 19th century and has experienced intermittent periods of active mining, closure, and modern re-exploration up to the present day. Geologically, the area is defined by a complex, highly metamorphosed Mesoproterozoic terrane composed primarily of dolomitic and calcitic marbles interlayered with calc-silicate rocks. These regional metamorphic and hydrothermal processes created an ideal environment for unique mineral formation, most notably purple tremolite (historically known as hexagonite), a rare variety colored by trace amounts of manganese within the crystal structure.
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