Thomsonite with Stilbite, Chabazite, Calcite
specimen number:
2072216
location:
Goble, Columbia Co., Oregon, USA
description: The Goble locality, situated along the Columbia River in Columbia County, Oregon, is a classic American site for zeolite minerals hosted within the Eocene-aged Goble Volcanics. Geologically, the area is characterized by thick sequences of basaltic flows and flow breccias where gas bubbles or vesicles were later filled by secondary minerals precipitated from low-temperature hydrothermal fluids. The site is most famous for its specimens of thomsonite-Ca, which occur as beautiful, pearly white to colorless radiating hemispherical clusters and acicular sprays within the dark basaltic cavities. Historically, the best specimens were recovered from railroad cuts and small roadside quarries during the expansion of regional infrastructure in the early to mid-20th century. While there was never a large-scale industrial mine dedicated to metal extraction, the "Goble quarries" and nearby outcrops were heavily frequented by mineral collectors from the 1930s through the 1960s. Today, much of the classic material is found in older collections, as many of the original collecting sites have been reclaimed by vegetation or restricted by private ownership and highway safety regulations.
Colorless crystal groupings of thomsonite across the front of matrix. In good condition, quite choice for the species in this old famous locality.
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