Homilite

specimen number:
9302336

location:
Stokksund, Larvik Commune, Vestfold, Norway

description:

An outstanding example for this rare mineral, a lustrous blocky sharply formed crystal 1.0 cm in size embedded up on matrix. In great condition.

Stokksund, located within the coastal region of the Larvik Commune in Vestfold, Norway, is part of the world-famous Oslo Rift geological province. Geologically, the area is dominated by complex Late Paleozoic alkaline igneous intrusions, specifically the Larvik Plutonic Complex formed during the Permian period, which features diverse nepheline syenites and pegmatite dikes rich in rare minerals. Historically, while the broader Larvik district gained international renown in the nineteenth century for pioneering scientific studies by researchers like Waldemar Brogger and extensive commercial quarrying of unique dimension stones, the smaller coastal and near-shore localities like Stokksund became celebrated among professional geologists and mineral collectors for exceptional pocket pegmatites yielding diverse, exotic accessory species.

Homilite is a rare sorosilicate mineral that typically crystallizes in the monoclinic system within complex alkaline pegmatites, most notably those of the Langesundsfjord district in southern Norway. First described in the late nineteenth century, its name is derived from a Greek word meaning to occur together, reflecting its common association with other unusual pegmatite minerals such as meliphanite and allanite. Mineralogically, it occurs as small, distinct brown to black prismatic crystals or crystalline masses embedded within feldspar-rich matrix zones, making it a classic and highly prized species among regional systematic collectors.

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