Albite

specimen number:
2262171

location:
Amelia, Virginia, USA

description:
Lustrous white mostly massive albite specimen. When the light hits this just right there is a play of colors, the so-called Moonstone effect. Nice for this old locality, the specimen has an old label glued to the back of the piece.

Amelia, Virginia, is home to the world-renowned Morefield Mine and several other significant pegmatite deposits located within the Piedmont geologic province. Geologically, these sites consist of complex, granite-hosted pegmatite dikes that formed during the late Paleozoic Era, featuring a diverse mineralogy of over 80 species. Amelia is particularly famous for producing exceptional specimens of albite, specifically the variety known as cleavelandite, which occurs as stark white, bladed, fan-like aggregates often associated with amazonite, microlite, and tantalite. Historically, mining and quarrying in the district began in the mid-19th century, with the Morefield Mine opening in 1929 primarily for the extraction of mica, feldspar, and beryl. While many of the smaller pits were short-lived, the Morefield Mine saw various periods of commercial operation for strategic minerals during the mid-20th century and later transitioned into a famous fee-mining and educational site.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.