Chabazite

Unknown Owner

Help improve this recordNo owner is registered for this specimen yet. If it's yours or you know more about it, you can add the owner, provenance, publications and other details.

This is a dramatic large plate of intensely colored crystals to over 2 cm diagonal, which is very large for the species. Chabazite is a fairly rare zeolite species not often found in the same deposits, and in sizable crystals, as the more common zeolite species stilbites and apophyllites (I know not why, but this seems clearly the case). These classics from Canada are, to me, the most colorful and interesting crystals for the collector because of the size. This large plate was sold to Ed David by Bill Butkowski some years ago ($1200), and long resided in that collection. Often they are labeled as Gmelinite: from Five Islands, Nova Scotia. This piece is certainly a chabazite from Wasson's Bluff, Nova Scotia, I am told (with thanks to Ronnie van Dommelen) despite its original label from Ed. Gmelinites from Five Islands are more pink than orange and very lustrous with triangular growth hillocks on the faces and have a foamy or hollow interior. The chabazite from Wasson's is quite distinct, being orange and with odd curved zoning between opaque and more gemmy regions. The associated heulandite from Wasson's is typically quite lustrous (even when the chabs are etched) and again is distinct from Five Islands. The little calcite is also the usual Wasson's habit. Good, large chabazites are very difficult to find and collect.