I’ve posted new specimens in the Pete Richards Collection section (click here) – these are manganite, ramsdellite, goethite and a red quartz from the Steep Rock Mine pits of Atikokan, Ontario. There are some great manganite crystals here, as you can hopefully see in some of the close-up photos.

Located in northwestern Ontario, the large mines at Atikokan were once huge iron producers. Financed and developed during the Second World War effort, these mines were brought into production to shore up US iron supplies. These were massive mines – the amount of earth and rock moved was twice that moved to build the Panama Canal, in half the time (!). The mines closed in 1979-80. Although they produced fine specimens, they are not broadly known among collectors around the world, as they would be if they were producing today. They are best known for excellent specimens of crystallized manganite, and they also produced fine pyrolusite, ramsdellite, goethite, quartz and calcite.

Manganite, Caland Pit, Steep Rock Mine, Atikokan,
Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada – 7.0 cm

Ramsdellite, Caland Pit, Steep Rock Mine,
Atikokan, Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada
Field of view 2.5 cm

Manganite, Caland Pit, Steep Rock Mine, Atikokan,
Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada
Field of view 1.7 cm

Manganite, Caland Pit, Steep Rock Mine,
Atikokan, Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada – 5.6 cm

Manganite, Caland Pit, Steep Rock Mine, Atikokan,
Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada
Field of view 3.0 cm

Manganite and quartz, Caland Pit, Steep Rock Mine,
Atikokan, Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada
Field of view 2.0 cm

Goethite, Steep Rock Mine, Atikokan, Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada – 8.7 cm

Closeup of the above specimen
Field of view 3.5 cm

Manganite, Caland Pit, Steep Rock Mine, Atikokan,
Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada
Field of view 2.0 cm

Manganite, Caland Pit, Steep Rock Mine, Atikokan,
Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada – 8.4 cm

Quartz with hematite (red phantoms), Caland Ore Properties, Atikokan,
Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada 3.7 cm