Ankerite with Quartz

specimen number:
2102201

location:
Jeffrey Quarry, North Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

description:
A grouping of ankerite crystals over 3.0 cm across set nicely up on a crystallized cluster of quartz. In good condition all around with no points of attachment. Classic material for the species and locality.

The Jeffrey Quarry, located in North Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, is a renowned locality famous for its distinct quartz and ankerite specimens. Geologically, the site is situated within the Ouachita Mountains orogenic belt, where Mississippian-aged Jackfork Sandstone and shale were subjected to intense folding and fracturing. During these tectonic events, low-temperature hydrothermal fluids filled open fissures, precipitating spectacular rock crystal quartz and sharp, rhombohedral ankerite crystals. The quartz from this site is often found as clear, needle-like prisms, while the ankerite typically appears as tan to saddle-shaped orange-brown crystals that provide an aesthetic contrast. Historically, the quarry was operated by the Jeffrey Stone Company primarily as a source of crushed stone for construction and road aggregate. While the exact dates of commercial operation spanned several decades during the mid to late 20th century, the site became a major destination for mineral collectors in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, the quarry is closed to the public and partially reclaimed, but it remains a classic American locality for those studying the mineralogy of the Ouachita quartz belt.

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