Howlite Collecting: World Class Crystals at Iona, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

By: David K. Joyce

In September 2024, I visited the world’s only known source of well-formed howlite crystals. This small but significant location is nestled between an old railway line and the shores of Bras d'Or Lake on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.The spot is not only scenic but also ideal for mineral field collecting—provided the weather cooperates.

Cape Breton Island has a rich cultural heritage, largely influenced by the Scottish Highlanders who emigrated from Scotland to start new lives in this part of Canada. The islanders take great pride in their Scottish roots and regularly hold traditional ceilidhs—lively gatherings filled with fiddle music, songs, and other elements of Gaelic culture. Road signs around Cape Breton reflect this dual heritage, often displaying town and landmark names in both English and Gaelic, a testament to the island’s enduring connection to its Scottish ancestry.

But let's get back to the minerals! The howlite locality is situated near the town of Iona. To get there, you simply head south, park near the railroad tracks (marked with the dropped pin on the map below) and hike east along the tracks toward a rocky outcrop between the rails and the water. The collecting area is right at the base of a bluff along the shore.

Above: Riley, the rockhound, accompanied me and protected me from all manner of dangers.

Left: This is where you hop on the tracks and head East.

Below: The locality can be seen at the furthest rocky point jutting out into the water on the right there. You need to climb down the loose rocky slope beside the tracks to access the shore line. Be sure to time this properly with the outgoing tide. The climb back up can be tricky, especially with a pack full of tools and a bucket full of samples! Be careful!!

The bluff is primarily composed of massive gypsum and anhydrite, but there’s only one place to find the howlite crystals—at the base of the bluff, just above the water level. Why only there? The howlite crystals are embedded within the hard, brittle anhydrite. As waves lap against the anhydrite, the mineral absorbs water molecules and gradually transforms into soft, flaky gypsum. Over time, this process erodes the gypsum layer, continually revealing more anhydrite beneath, which also hydrates and becomes gypsum. This cycle takes months, slowly exposing the howlite clusters embedded in the matrix. Since howlite is resistant to the water’s effects, the crystals remain intact even as the anhydrite erodes. Eventually, if left undisturbed, many howlite clusters fall into the water, where they are further ground down by moving rocks and waves. The constant interaction between water and mineral is a natural and effective way to reveal these rare howlite specimens.

In the photo below, you'll notice the boulders submerged at the base of the cliff—this is where the howlite crystals are found! To collect them, you’ll need to wade into the water with shoes and pants. Once you reach the boulders, use your tools to carefully chisel off pieces of the anhydrite that expose the howlite crystals. However, weather conditions can make collecting difficult. If the wind is blowing from the southwest and the waves are high, it becomes nearly impossible to gather specimens. Calm water is essential to maintain stability while standing and working near the boulders.

In a few years, all of the boulders you see will have transformed into gypsum and eventually be washed away. As the waves continue to erode the anhydrite, new boulders will need to fall from the cliff to expose more howlite crystals. This natural process ensures that more specimens become accessible over time, but it also means that existing howlite-bearing boulders are temporary and will eventually disappear.

Here’s a photo of my son, Daniel Joyce, wading through the water, examining boulders for clusters of howlite to chisel off. This photo was actually taken back in 2005 during one of our previous field trips. I also wrote about that trip in an article, which you can read by clicking the following link: Collecting Howlite Crystals in Iona, Cape Breton Island.

Here is how the howlite crystals appear on the eroded anhydrite. There are not usually so many so close together!

The goal is to find intact clusters of howlite crystals and carefully chisel off pieces of anhydrite that encase them. Easier said than done! If the cluster is buried in the middle of a large anhydrite mass, it can be quite difficult to recover. However, if the crystals are located on a thinner wedge of anhydrite or near the edge, as is often the case, it's easier to chisel them free.

Below are some photos showcasing excellent specimens of howlite crystals after prepwork has been done. The clusters typically range from 1.5 to 2.5 cm in width.

I’ve experimented with various methods, including acids and mechanical/hydraulic techniques, to try and speed up the process of exposing the howlite crystals. However, so far, the most effective method remains the natural wave action of Bras d'Or Lake eroding the anhydrite over time.

So there you have it, there are still howlite crystals left to collect, along with wonderful cultural heritage sites and of course, delicious lobster and fresh seafood!

Check our inventory for available howlite specimens by clicking the following link: https://djoyceminerals.com/?s=howlite&post_type=product

Thanks for reading! And please let us know if you've collected here and what your experience was like, we always enjoy hearing peoples collecting stories,

David K Joyce

Here are some additional photos from my most recent trip to Iona:

The above plaque marks the thinking behind a recreated settlement of Cape Breton Scots at Iona. Old buildings have been moved from various parts of the island to recreate a village as it would have been back in the 1850-1880 time period when many Scots moved to Cape Breton Island. Here are some views of the re-created town, now populated by Islanders skilled in blacksmithing, weaving, agriculture, cooking, etc to demonstrate to interested visitors.