Schizolite

A pleasing miniature featuring soft salmon-pink, layered bladed crystals of schizolite, a species often mistaken for serandite. The crystals show a gentle bladed habit with a subtle lustre, and while the specimen is not perfect (with some cleavage present) it still displays good form and some several well-defined faces. The overall presentation is attractive, with the warm colour typical of the species.

Collected at Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, one of the world’s most important alkaline complexes, this specimen represents a classic occurrence of a lesser-seen mineral from the locality. Schizolite is part of the rosenbuschite group and is far less commonly encountered than its more famous counterparts. A fine example from this renowned and highly diverse mineral locality.