Analcime with Prehnite

specimen number:
2102152

location:
New Street Quarry, Paterson, New Jersey, USA

description:
Colorless crystals of analcime measuring to 1.5 cm are in size in an open pocket with crystallized prehnite. This is in good condition and quite nice for the species and locality.

The New Street Quarry, situated in Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey, is a world-class mineral locality famous for its exceptional zeolite and associated silicate specimens. Geologically, the quarry exploited the Jurassic-aged First Watchung Basalt, specifically an area where lava flows encountered water to form basaltic pillows. Large interstitial spaces and gas vesicles within these volcanic rocks provided the ideal environment for the hydrothermal crystallization of minerals such as prehnite, datolite, pectolite, and various zeolites like heulandite and stilbite. Historically, the site operated as a trap rock quarry primarily for road construction and railroad ballast between roughly 1893 and 1925. While the quarry was eventually abandoned and later covered by residential developments, it remains legendary among collectors for producing some of the finest green prehnite and glassy datolite crystals ever found in the United States. Significant additional recoveries were made as recently as the late 1980s during excavation for construction projects, further cementing its status as a premier American mineral locality.

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