Calcite with Celestine

specimen number:
2013572

location:
Stoneco Quarry, Newport, Michigan, USA

description:

A wonderful attractive and aesthetic combination piece for this locality. Lustrous translucent amber colored crystals of calcite measuring to 4.5 cm are in size on matrix with bladed pale blue lustrous crystals of Celestine measuring to 6.0 cm in length. This is in excellent condition.

The Stoneco Newport Quarry, located in Monroe County, Michigan, is a prominent producer of aggregate that is equally famous for its high-quality mineral specimens. Geologically, the quarry excavates the Silurian-aged Raisin River Dolomite of the Bass Islands Group, which features numerous vugs formed by the dissolution of evaporite minerals. These cavities host exceptional crystals of celestine and calcite, typically precipitated from hydrothermal or low-temperature groundwater fluids. The celestine found here is noted for its beautiful sky-blue to colorless tabular crystals, while the calcite often appears as sharp, golden to amber-colored scalenohedrons, sometimes found in aesthetic association with native sulfur. Historically, the quarry has been in operation for several decades, with significant production and specimen recovery spanning from the mid-20th century through the present day under the management of Stoneco of Michigan. While it remains an active industrial site for crushed stone and dolomite, it is widely regarded as one of the most productive and classic localities for Michigan celestine, with specimens appearing in major museum and private collections worldwide.

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