Fluoro-richterite

A miniature-sized crystal of fluoro-richterite, an amphibole species rarely encountered in well-formed specimens. While the crystal shows some minor edge wear, examples of this quality are uncommon. The crystal displays the characteristic habit and black colour of the species.

Fluoro-richterite from this locality occurs within calcite vein-dyke systems hosted in gneiss and amphibolite, a setting that has produced some surprisingly large and well-formed crystals. The site, located approximately 100 metres north of Gibsons Road, was reportedly discovered by local collector Steve Smith around 1995 and has since been worked intermittently by rockhounds. Continued exposure has revealed a broader mineralized zone, with crystals found both embedded within calcite veins and weathered free from them. A scarce and locality-specific specimen from a classic Ontario occurrence.