Gmelinite on Natrolite

specimen number:
2354249

location:
Springfield Quarry, Lane Co., Oregon, USA

description:
Fairly large colorless non-lustrous crystals of gmelinite to 1.3 cm in size across the top of a crystallized natrolite matrix. In good condition. Nice thumbnail for the species and locality.

The Springfield Quarry in Lane County, Oregon, USA, is situated within volcanic rock formations of the Western Cascades, where Tertiary basaltic and andesitic flows provided ideal hosts for hydrothermal mineral deposition. As silica-rich thermal fluids circulated through vesicles, fractures, and brecciated zones in the volcanic host rock, distinctive pocket environments formed, creating fine specimens of quartz and associated zeolites. The quarry operated primarily as a aggregate mining site for road construction and industrial rock products, but it gained strong renown among mineral collectors during the mid to late twentieth century for its superb crystal specimens. Field collectors frequently sought out the site for its well-crystallized amethyst quartz, clear rock crystal, and sharp calcite groups, making it a well-known Pacific Northwest specimen locality.

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