Updated 13h ago

Quartz

$800.00

$40.00 shipping
Seller offers an extended return window of up to 30 days
Ships from USA

Opened in the 1890s, the Lane & Son traprock quarries at Westfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, USA have long been renowned for some of the world's finest crystals of Babingtonite, a calcium iron silicate hydroxide. Outdone in recent times by finds in China, the New England specimens are still important examples of this rare species and have a historical pedigree too. Reaching 9 mm in length, the glossy black bladed Babingtonite crystals on this very large miniature specimen from David Hardman's collection stand out extremely well against the white crystallized Quartz, lining cavities in dolerite matrix with a little deep green Epidote showing too. The Babingtonite crystals are mostly seen in small groups rather than individual crystals, but present really nicely for this classic, famous American occurrence. David Hardman had a passion for New England specimens and began building his collection during the 1960s and 1970s which is probably when he obtained this fine specimen.