Description
Detailed Description
This specimen hosts groups of sharp microcrystals of ruizite. This is a very uncommon mineral, rarely forming sharp, distinct crystals. However, in 2008, a single boulder at the Cornwall Iron Mine produced excellent micro crystals, collected by Skip Colflesh and Scott Snavely. These ruizite crystals have nice red-brown colour and there are good fibrous clinoenstatite crystals in association (clear in the third photo), along with some apophyllite crystals. The good Cornwall ruizites from this find are right up there with the best of the species. (Sorry I’m not yet set up for photomicrography – other specimens from this find are on mindat, here.) From the John S. White Pennsylvania Collection.
About the Cornwall Iron Mine
The Cornwall Iron Mine began in 1732 and, after operating continuously for over 230 years, it is regarded as one of the great historic mines of the American Northeast. Iron from Cornwall supplied efforts in the Revolutionary War and, over the history of the mine, more than 106 million tons of iron ore were produced. The Cornwall Iron Mine complex also produced gold, silver, copper and cobalt during the life of the mine. In 1972, Tropical Storm (originally Hurricane) Agnes caused the remaining mining operations to flood beyond commercial recovery, and the Cornwall Iron Mine closed in June 1973. Mineralogically it is an important locality, with over 60 mineral species known from the deposit.
