Diopside from Oka complex, Québec, Canada

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Pyrochlore is a diverse group of species with a dominance of niobium and individual species require very precise chemical analysis of crystals. St Lawrence Columbium mine at Oka, Deux-Montagnes RCM, Laurentides, Québec, Canada had a relatively short lifespan, from 1961-1977, but when operating was one of the world's biggest producers of niobium (formerly called columbium). This great larger miniature specimen from the superb systematic collection assembled by the brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021) features the very distinctive assemblage seen at St Lawrence Columbium mine. Within it, a superb 5 mm wide reddish-brown octahedral Pyrochlore crystal sits perched very 3-dimensionally upon white Calcite/carbonatite shot through with dark coloured blades of Diopside or Aegirine. The Pyrochlore crystal shows minor natural distortion to one face, where it grew against another mineral, but is overall very well-formed and has a nice colour. Some Pyrochlore from St Lawrence Columbium mine has recently been identified as Hydroxykenopyrochlore but our specimen has not been analysed.