Millerite, Grossular

This specimen originates from the historic Orford Nickel Mine in Quebec, Canada's first nickel mine and one of the earliest in North America. The mine was initially explored as a copper prospect in 1860 but transitioned to nickel production in the late 1870s. Active mining operations lasted from 1877 to 1882, though production remained limited. The deposit is hosted in a calcite vein at the contact between serpentinized peridotite and volcanic rock, yielding exceptional specimens of diopside, chrome-bearing green grossular, orange grossular, and millerite.

This particular specimen features several brassy, elongated millerite crystals, up to 8mm, nestled within a shallow cavity made up of a matrix of vivid green chrome-bearing grossular and greenish-beige diopside, all etched out of translucent calcite. Millerite is relatively uncommon at this locality, making this an excellent and desirable example. Most likely collected decades ago (60s or 70s), the mine has long been inactive, its legacy lives on through the remarkable mineral specimens it produced, which remain sought after by collectors.