Almandine

This impressive specimen features a large, sharp, and fairly lustrous trapezohedral almandine garnet crystal measuring 66 mm across and showcases rich mottled reddish-brown colouration. There is a fracture visible on the front face, but it doesn't go all the way through, the specimen seems to be solid regardless. Specimens of this size and quality from the historic Ruggles Mine are far and few between, making this an exceptional example even with the fracture line.

The Ruggles Mine, located on Isinglass Mountain in Grafton, New Hampshire, is the first commercial mica mine in the United States, with operations dating back to the early 19th century. This famous granite pegmatite deposit, was later mined for feldspar beginning in 1912 and intermittently for beryl, with feldspar extraction continuing until around 1969.

This specimen was collected by Gunnar Bjareby and gifted to Dr. Tarassoff. Gunnar Bjareby (1899-1967), was inducted into the Micromounters Hall of Fame in 1985, was a pioneering micromounter with roots in Sweden. A professional artist, he became fascinated by the beauty of crystallized minerals visible only under a microscope. Gunnar was instrumental in founding the Micromounters of New England. His contributions to the field include a series of articles in Rocks and Minerals magazine and extensive correspondence, often featuring his detailed colour drawings of mineral specimens. In recognition of his impact, the mineral bjarebyite was named in his honour in 1973. His micromount collection, comprising over 1,000 species, was donated to the University of Chicago.

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This specimen comes from the collection of Dr. Peter Tarassoff, a prominent figure in mineralogy, particularly known for his work at Mont Saint-Hilaire (MSH). His diligent collecting and examination efforts have led him to be the first to identify at least 35 species and discover 12 new species, not only at MSH but also at other alkaline localities. Dubbed the "Dean" of Mont Saint-Hilaire collectors, Peter was honoured with the naming of the new species petarasite in 1980. He has authored or co-authored numerous mineralogical articles and has been a member of the Mineralogical Association of Canada since 1964. Additionally, Peter has volunteered at the Redpath Museum for the past 21 years, where he was formally appointed the Honorary Curator of Mineralogy. In recognition of his significant contributions to mineralogy, Peter was awarded the 2017 Pinch Medal.