Calcite

specimen number:
2013618

location:
Hanson Quarry, Sylvania, Ohio, USA

description:
A loose floater cluster of yellowish translucent lustrous scalenohedral calcite crystals. In great condition, excellent for the species for this Ohio locality.

The Hanson Quarry, also known historically as the Medusa Quarry or the South Sylvania Quarry, is located in Sylvania, Lucas County, Ohio. Geologically, the site is situated on the western flank of the Michigan Basin and exposes the Middle Devonian-aged Dundee Limestone and the overlying Silica Shale. These formations are renowned for their abundant marine fossils and localized mineralization occurring in vugs and fractures. The quarry is particularly famous for its superb celestine, which often appears as sharp, transparent, or pale blue tabular crystals, as well as aesthetic calcite crystals that vary in habit from rhombohedral to scalenohedral. Historically, the operation began in the early 20th century to provide raw materials for cement manufacturing, notably for the Medusa Portland Cement Company. It has transitioned through various owners, including Hanson Aggregates, and has remained a significant source of industrial limestone for decades. While primarily a commercial venture, it is celebrated by the mineralogical community as a premier Midwestern locality for high-clarity strontium sulfate and carbonate specimens.

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