Fluorapophyllite-K with Pectolite, Prehnite

specimen number:
2102265

location:
Prospect Park, Paterson, New Jersey, USA

description:
An open pocket lined with crystallized prehnite in pectolite, this hosting a partly gemmy lustrous pseudo-cubic colorless crystal of fluorapophyllite. In good condition.

The Prospect Park Quarry, also known as the Sowerbutt Quarry, is located in Passaic County, New Jersey, and is one of the most famous mineral localities in the Watchung Mountains. Geologically, the quarry exposes the First Watchung Basalt, a series of Triassic-Jurassic volcanic flows where cooling cracks and gas bubbles provided space for the deposition of spectacular zeolites and associated secondary minerals from hydrothermal fluids. This site is particularly renowned for producing world-class specimens of prehnite, datolite, and various zeolites like analcime and stilbite, often occurring in beautiful, translucent green or white crystal aggregates. Historically, the quarry began operations in the early 1900s, primarily for the extraction of crushed stone used in road construction and industrial applications. It remained a highly active and productive site for both industry and mineral collectors for nearly a century until commercial quarrying operations ceased in the early 2000s. Today, while the site has undergone significant reclamation and development, it remains a legendary name in American mineralogy due to the sheer volume and quality of the specimens recovered during its decades of operation.

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