Spring Street, Medford Road Occurrence, Staten Island, New York
USA
Dimensions: 6.7x5.4x4.3 cm
Price: CA
This specimen features a plate of snow-white radial sprays of acicular artinite clustered on hydromagnesite crystal crusts, forming a sculptural small cabinet on a serpentine matrix from the Spring Street at Medford Road Occurrence in Staten Island. The serpentine is the oldest rock on the surface of Staten Island. Artinite is an uncommon hydrated magnesium carbonate with a hydroxyl group. Most collecting at this site occurred before the early 1970s, with no access since. This is a rare urban find from a classic American locality, and the scarcity of quality specimens on the market adds to its significance and rarity.
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This specimen comes from the collection of 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 and the Mineralogical Society of America for over 30 years. Additionally, Peter has volunteered at the Redpath Museum for the past 21 years. In recognition of his significant contributions to mineralogy, Dr. Peter Tarassoff was awarded the 2017 Pinch Medal by the Mineralogical Association of Canada.
Peter's dedication to systematic collecting, curating his collection, and maintaining an archive of detailed historical and scientific information has greatly benefited the mineral sciences community both in Canada and globally. All specimens from this collection come with the original P. Tarassoff collection label.
Note: All prices are in Canadian dollars (CAD). International customers are charged in CAD, exchange rate is calculated automatically by your bank/paypal upon checkout.
