Zektzerite with Albite
specimen number:
1115236
location:
Washington Pass, Okanogan Co., Washington, USA
description: The Washington Pass locality, situated along the scenic North Cascades Highway in Okanogan County, Washington, is the world-famous type locality for the exceptionally rare sodium lithium zirconium silicate mineral zektzerite. Geologically, this unique mineral occurs exclusively within miarolitic cavities, which are open gas pockets, nested inside the multi-phase, peralkaline Eocene-age Golden Horn granite pluton. Roughly 48 million years ago, as this highly evolved granitic magma cooled deep underground, an intense concentration of rare incompatible elements, including zirconium, lithium, and fluorine, became trapped in the residual volatile fluids, triggering the crystallization of microscopic to centimeter-sized colorless, white, or pale pink pseudohexagonal zektzerite crystals alongside smoky quartz, microcline, arfvedsonite, and aegirine. Historically, the mineral was first discovered at the pass in 1968 by local collector Jack Zektzer, and it was officially recognized and described as a new species in 1976 following intensive mineralogical analysis. Because Washington Pass is located within the protected Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and surrounded by rugged wilderness terrain, it has never been subjected to commercial industrial mining or open-cast quarrying operations. Instead, specimen extraction has been limited to small-scale, non-destructive surface collecting by mineralogists and specialized hobbyists working the loose talus slopes and exposed granite road cuts.
Outstanding example for this rare species with sharp large crystals measuring to 2.0 cm in size in a cluster with white albite crystals. This is in super condition. From a recent find, video and be provided of this piece actually been collected from the pocket. About as good as it gets for this rare mineral.
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