Biotite

specimen number:
2062721

location:
Silver Crater Mine, Bancroft, Ontario, Canada

description:
Thick crystal grouping of lustrous black biotite measuring 4.0 x 4.0 x 3.0 cm in size coming off matrix. Good example for the species, in great condition. The specimen was collected by Ray DeMark in 1968 and comes with his collection label.

The Silver Crater Mine, located near Bancroft, Ontario, began as a mica and phosphate prospect in the late 19th and early 20th centuries before shifting focus to radioactive mineral exploration during the 1950s. Geologically, the site is situated within the Grenville Province and is famous for its unusual crustal carbonatite vein-dikes hosted within amphibolite and gneiss. It is especially well known among mineral collectors and geologists for producing large crystals of apatite, mica, hornblende, and notable radioactive oxide minerals.

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