Fluorite, Quartz

This specimen features nice contrast of translucent dark purple fluorite cubes on white drusy of quartz crystals. The label that came with it just says "Thunder Bay" for the locality but I think it's safe to assume it's from the famous Highway 17 road cut near Yesno Township, in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, commonly referred to as "Rossport." Geologically, the area is significant, underlain by an igneous complex of granite and pegmatite. The granite is intersected by numerous narrow pegmatite veins, primarily composed of quartz and coarse-grained feldspar. Fluorite veins are often found in the vicinity, appearing on the surfaces of joint planes as seams of purple fluorite cubes. The combination of fluorite and quartz makes for a very nice specimen from this  locality.

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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.