Serandite, Astrophyllite, Aegirine

This fine miniature features a well-formed, serandite crystal on serandite matrix—an excellent example from the Desourdy Quarry at Mont Saint-Hilaire. The main crystal displays sharp form and the rich salmon-orange to pink colour that defines the best serandite from this locality. It is translucent with a velvety internal sheen. The crystal is attached to a larger section of serandite, which shows some defined faces. The back of the piece bears a clean cleavage surface from where it was once in contact with the wall of a vug, revealing the intense interior colour. While a few minor imperfections are present, the specimen is in overall excellent condition and has strong visual impact when on display. Associated black aegirine and metallic brown astrophyllite can be seen on the specimen as well. Serandite from Mont Saint-Hilaire is renowned not only for its vibrant colour and sharp form but also for its unusually robust, blocky crystals—a rarity within the wollastonite group, which typically forms more slender or fibrous habits. This piece was collected by Peter Tarassoff in 1973.

Mont Saint-Hilaire is considered one of the most mineralogically diverse localities in the world, having produced hundreds of rare and unique mineral species—including many of the finest best-of-species specimens ever found. The entry on mindat.org states that there are 440 different species found there, and this quarry is the type locality for 73 of them. Once accessible to collectors, the quarry is now under strict control, with field collecting entirely prohibited. As a result, specimens like this one have become increasingly scarce and sought after by collectors.

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This specimen comes from the collection of Dr. Peter Tarassoff, a prominent figure in mineralogy, particularly known for his work at Mont Saint-Hilaire (MSH). His diligent collecting and examination efforts have led him to be the first to identify at least 35 species and discover 12 new species, not only at MSH but also at other alkaline localities. Dubbed the "Dean" of Mont Saint-Hilaire collectors, Peter was honoured with the naming of the new species petarasite in 1980. He has authored or co-authored numerous mineralogical articles and has been a member of the Mineralogical Association of Canada since 1964. Additionally, Peter has volunteered at the Redpath Museum for the past 21 years, where he was formally appointed the Honorary Curator of Mineralogy. In recognition of his significant contributions to mineralogy, Peter was awarded the 2017 Pinch Medal.