Quartz

This is a notably large smoky quartz displaying a tabular habit. The reverse side is partially coated with a druze of micro quartz and calcite. Overall condition is very good, with clean lustrous faces and great transparency. There is cleavage at the base where the crystal was detached from the mine wall, along with a hairline fracture running parallel a couple cm up from the bottom edge. The fracture feels stable and does not require reinforcement, though it should be handled with care. Specimens of this size and habit are rarely encountered from this mine, making it a distinctive and appealing example for the locality.

The specimen comes from the Nanisivik Mine on northern Baffin Island, roughly 750 km north of the Arctic Circle, one of the world’s most northerly operating base-metal mines. Active from 1976 until its closure in 2002, Nanisivik produced zinc and lead from Mississippi Valley–type mineralization hosted in dolostone. Today, the mine is legendary among collectors for its distinctive and often beautifully crystallized specimens, making examples such as this increasingly scarce and highly desirable.