Riebeckite
specimen number:
2102203
location:
Hurricane Mt., North Conway, New Hampshire, USA
description: Hurricane Mountain, located near North Conway in Carroll County, New Hampshire, is a classic White Mountain locality famous for its distinct pocket mineralogy. Geologically, the site is part of the White Mountain Batholith and features alkaline granitic pegmatites and miarolitic cavities hosted within the Conway Granite. These pockets formed during the final stages of magmatic cooling, allowing for the growth of exceptional crystals of smoky quartz, microcline, and particularly fine specimens of the rare mineral phenakite. Historically, the locality has been known to collectors since the late 1800s, with various small-scale operations and individual prospecting occurring intermittently throughout the 20th century. While never a large-scale industrial mine, it saw significant interest from mineralogists in the 1940s and 1950s as a source for high-quality American phenakite and smoky quartz. Today, the area is a well-known destination for field collectors, though the rugged terrain and dense forest cover make locating productive pockets a challenge, ensuring its status as a legendary site for New Hampshire mineralogy.
Blue fibrous riebeckite embedded throughout matrix. Nice example for the species.
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