Fluorapophyllite -(k), Pyrrhotite

This specimen features a flat plate of fluorapophyllite crystals with a beautiful satin lustre, one crystal measures up to 8mm cm. The crystals exhibit a sparkling appearance due to fine inclusions of sulfides. There is one very nice micro-pyrrhotite near the bottom. This piece originates from the now-closed copper mining operations in Murdochville, Québec.

Murdochville was founded in 1951, with mining and smelting activities beginning in 1955 and continuing until their closure in 2002. The ore bodies, hosted in metamorphosed sedimentary rocks at Needle Mountain, were divided into stratigraphic zones labeled A, B, C, and E. The A-zone was mined via open pit, while the remaining zones were accessed underground. This fluorapophyllite specimen is attributed to the C-zone, one of the few areas known to produce well-crystallized mineral specimens. While most minerals from Murdochville occur in massive form or at the microscopic scale, the locality is best known for its rare and well-formed fluorapophyllite crystals.

This particular specimen, with its distinct crystal habit and metallic inclusions, is an excellent example of the unique mineralogy associated with this historic mining site. It was gifted to Dr. Peter Tarassoff in 1970 by W. MacIsaac of Gaspé Copper Mines Ltd.