Quartz ps, after Aegirine

This specimen is a pseudomorph of grey coloured Quartz after a single prismatic crystal of Aegirine with tiny golden Siderite, and clear Albite blades sprinkled over the surface.

This fascinating piece comes from the alkaline complex locality of Mont Saint-Hilaire, this isolated hill in southern Quebec, about 40 km east of Montréal along the Richelieu River. Mont Saint-Hilaire and the associated Poudrette Quarry are renowned among mineral collectors and scientists worldwide for their unique mineral species. Few other localities in Canada—and indeed the world—have produced such a wide diversity of exotic mineral species, boasting more than 430 distinct mineral species, representing about 8% of all known mineral species globally and about 25% of those found in Canada. This remarkable diversity arises from the complex composition of the alkaline rocks characterizing Mont Saint-Hilaire, which contain over 40 different chemical elements, including less abundant ones like lithium (Li), beryllium (Be), zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb), and rare-earth elements. Despite decades of scientific study, many of the geological processes responsible for the creation of Mont Saint-Hilaire more than 115 million years ago remain a mystery.

Learn more about Mont Saint-Hilaire by visiting the the Canadian Museum of Nature's page about their recently acquired "Haineault Mont Saint-Hilaire Collection" here: https://nature.ca/en/our-science/collections/the-haineault-mont-saint-hilaire-collection/