Spinel

This specimen features three well-formed spinel crystals exhibiting a combination isometric crystal forms and a distinctive silky luster. They originate from MacDonald Island, a small and remote island located off the coast of Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada.

The occurrence is a diopside-rich skarn formed at the contact between pegmatitic syenite and marble, where spinel crystals are found within calcite pods in the skarn zone. Such geological conditions created an environment favorable for the crystallization of these sharp, lustrous spinels. Today, specimens from MacDonald Island are highly prized, not only for their beauty but also for their rarity, as the locality is long inactive and exceedingly remote. This example stands as an attractive and scientifically interesting representation of Canada’s northern mineral wealth.

This particular piece comes from the noted collection of Dr. Peter Tarassoff, further enhancing its significance as both a scientific and collector’s specimen.