Sodalite, Microcline

This specimen features a fine example of tenebrescent sodalite embedded in a microcline matrix from the famous Mont Saint-Hilaire locality in Quebec. The sodalite displays the remarkable property of tenebrescence (changing colour under UV light exposure and gradually reverting in darkness) a rare and highly desirable trait among collectors. Mont Saint-Hilaire is renowned worldwide for its extraordinary diversity of rare minerals, and its sodalite specimens are among the classics from the locality. This particular piece was collected by the well-known Mont Saint-Hilaire field collector Peter Tarassoff in 1973, adding important provenance. With its combination of unusual optical properties, classic mineral association, and historical significance, this is an excellent specimen for collectors of rare minerals or Mont Saint-Hilaire material.