Titanite

A traditionally wedge-shaped titanite crystal of good size, showing the classic form for the species. The crystal is well-developed overall, with strong geometric form. There is some minor bruising along some edges, though this does not significantly detract from the display and is fairly typical for material from this locality. The piece still presents well, with a solid and recognizable titanite form.

This specimen comes from the Bear Lake Diggings, historically one of Ontario’s most celebrated mineral collecting localities. The site is especially renowned for producing large fluorapatite crystals (some exceeding a foot in length) along with a suite of classic Grenville minerals, including titanite. Formerly Ontario’s first publicly protected mineral collecting site, Bear Lake was sold in 2016 and access has since been restricted, making specimens from this locality increasingly scarce and sought after by collectors worldwide.