Calcite (Specimen #100029)

Mineral(s): Calcite; Hematite 

Location: Madawaska Mine (Faraday Mine) Faraday Township Hastings County, Ontario 

Size: 6.5 x 5.9 x 3.5 cm 

Description:  An attractive and unusual group of ‘stacked’ calcite crystals some with the characteristic, pinacoid termination that the Faraday mine is famous for. A little hematite staining over gemmy-clear crystals.  

The Madawaska (Faraday) mine is a former uranium mine on a deposit discovered in late 1953 by diamond drilling, that closed 42 years ago. Mineral specimens from this locality are much sought after by collectors due to the unique suite of minerals including hematite and goethite-coated calcite crystals.  The mine ore occurs in a granite pegmatite dyke system in mafic gneiss. The main ore mineral was uraninite with associated calcite, uranophane, chalcopyrite, gypsum and more. See Mindat for a complete list.