Celestine

specimen number:
2013518

location:
Maybee, Monroe Co., Michigan, USA

description:
Classic specimen for this locality with gemmy blue prismatic crystals of Celestine measuring to 2.7 cm in length across the top of matrix. In good condition, the quality is excellent of the crystal size quite large for this locality. From the 1970s.

The quarries around Maybee, in Monroe County, Michigan, are situated within the Michigan Basin, a large structural depression filled with Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. Geologically, the primary target of these operations is the Silurian-aged Raisin River Dolomite, which belongs to the Bass Islands Group. These carbonate rocks were deposited approximately 420 million years ago in a shallow, evaporating sea environment. The celestine mineralization occurred much later, as strontium-rich hydrothermal fluids or migrating groundwaters moved through the porous dolomite, depositing the mineral within open vugs and solution cavities. Historically, the Maybee area has been an active source of crushed stone for construction and aggregate since the late 19th century. The Woolmith Quarry, in particular, gained international fame among mineralogists in the early 20th century for its prolific yield of crystallized specimens, though modern access is strictly limited to active industrial operations.

For mineral collectors, Maybee is a classic American locality for celestine, prized for its distinct crystal habits and high luster. The celestine from this area typically occurs as tabular or bladed crystals, ranging from colorless and transparent to a delicate, pale "sky-blue" or "steel-grey" hue. These crystals are often found in aesthetic clusters lining the interior of dark, brownish-grey dolomite vugs, providing a sharp visual contrast. A notable characteristic of Maybee celestine is the frequent presence of associated sulfur, which can occur as bright yellow crystalline masses or "blebs" within the same cavities. Other associated minerals include small, brassy marcasite crystals and occasional scalenohedral calcite. Because many of the most famous specimens were recovered decades ago, they are now considered historical treasures of Michigan mineralogy, representing a unique geochemical environment where strontium and sulfur combined to form world-class crystalline displays.

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