Description

Detailed Description

This is the one specimen in the lot from another locality, the famous Bear Lake. I collected this piece in 1988. It is sharp, with absolute top lustre for Grenville titanite. under strong light one can easily see the internal deep brown colour. An additional unusual feature of this piece is the micro-thin frosting of anatase on the left-hand side of the piece. (This material was subjected to various analytical work by Dr. Robert Martin at McGill University during my days as a student there.)  In very good condition – most of the edges and faces are pristine, and a couple of minor nicks and chips, including to the small crystal perched on the main one.  This is an unusual and excellent Bear Lake titanite.

About These Titanites

Titanite is among the most highly-prized minerals in the Bancroft Area and other regions of the Grenville Province. And yet, truly excellent quality specimens are elusive, both locally and on the international market. One reason is that titanite is very brittle. Its wedge-shaped crystals feature long, thin edges that are easily broken, cracked and chipped, by natural processes and also by collectors. Another issue is that titanite crystals from the Grenville are very often incompletely formed or heavily contacted, having often formed contemporaneously with other neighbouring minerals. These titanites are remarkable for their quality and sharpness. The crystals have a black appearance, but on close inspection of the crystal edges under bright light you can see that they are in fact the deepest reddish-brown colour.