Description

Detailed Description

Sharp, glassy datolite crystals on matrix from Leesburg. These are great textbook monoclinic datolite crystals (fairly flattened in habit), with some highly transparent areas. In excellent condition, one chip to the back of the central crystal – from the front/display angle, the edge of it is marginally visible, but not distracting.

This locality has been known by various names over the years, and is only one locality that has been known by the “Goose Creek” name. Now known as the Luck Goose Creek Plant, it was formerly the Virginia Trap Rock Quarry. To add to the naming complexity, the late mineral collector Donald “Buck” Keller sold specimens labeled the “Virginia Crushed Stone” or “VCS” or “VACS” quarry – this is now known to have been his code for the Luck Goose Creek Plant (which at the time was the Virginia Trap Rock Quarry).

I note that the hue of these datolite crystals varies a bit depending on lighting source – they are very lightly coloured, and in some lighting they look a bit more yellow-green tinted.

A beautiful datolite from the Virginia suite of the John S. White Collection.