Quartz, Dolomite

This attractive miniature, or “toenail,” specimen features a pair of colourless, transparent quartz crystals perched on a remnant of saddle-shaped, gently curved, light pink dolomite with a soft pearlescent lustre. The quartz crystals are sharp, well-formed, and free of damage, allowing them to take centre stage while being beautifully complemented by the dolomite matrix. Although species such as, quartz, calcite, and dolomite are all fairly common at this locality, display-quality examples with such refined form and balance are comparatively uncommon, making this a particularly appealing piece.

The specimen originates from the Saint-Eustache Quarry, an active multi-level limestone quarry in operation since 1961. The quarry exposes dolostones of the Beekmantown Formation, including fine-grained siliceous dolostone interlayered with darker dolostone and shale, which locally host crystal-lined cavities. These cavities have produced attractive dolomite, calcite, and quartz specimens over the years. This piece is from the Peter Tarassoff collection and was given to him in 1966 by legendary Canadian collector Frank Melanson, adding exceptional historical provenance to this refined and well-balanced example.