McKay Head - Histroical Collecting Site
Feb 29, 2016 16:35:11 GMT -5
captbob, quartz, and 1 more like this
Post by 150FromFundy on Feb 29, 2016 16:35:11 GMT -5
Back in 1836, Abraham Gesner wrote on the geology and minerology of Nova Scotia. His early collection forms part of the provincial collection and is still housed at the New Brunswick museum. When visiting McKay Head, Gesner wrote:
McKay's Head is a lofty overhanging cliff affording the most rare and beautiful crystals of siliceous sinter. This mineral occupies geodes and veins in the cliff and appears under a variety of forms. Stalactical, mamillary and branching groups of crystals may be easily procured imitating flowers leaves and a variety of other figures its lustre is shining pearly or vitreous and sometimes it is shaded with a light tinge of red. In a large open fissure the sinter is perfectly covered with delicate crystals of hog tooth spar so finely pointed as to wound the fingers when they are incautiously handled.
About 180 years later, this area is still producing nice specimens. The cliffs are most active in the late winter/early spring when freeze/thaw cycles are spalling fresh material from the cliffs above. These pieces were picked last Saturday.
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (4”x3”x1”) – This piece shows unaltered quartz crystals, and tiny quartz balls that are covered with a druze of quartz crystal. The few quartz balls that are damaged show that the ball grew from coating darker core. Siliceous sinter forms the rest of the matrix.
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (4”x3”x1”)
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (4.5”x2.5”x1.5”)
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (3.5”x1.5”x1”)
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (5”x3”x1.5”)
Quartz Flower (2.5”x1.5”x1”)
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (3”x2.5”x1”)
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (3.5”x2”x0.5”)
Siliceous Sinter (2.5”x1.5”x0.5”)
Darryl.
McKay's Head is a lofty overhanging cliff affording the most rare and beautiful crystals of siliceous sinter. This mineral occupies geodes and veins in the cliff and appears under a variety of forms. Stalactical, mamillary and branching groups of crystals may be easily procured imitating flowers leaves and a variety of other figures its lustre is shining pearly or vitreous and sometimes it is shaded with a light tinge of red. In a large open fissure the sinter is perfectly covered with delicate crystals of hog tooth spar so finely pointed as to wound the fingers when they are incautiously handled.
About 180 years later, this area is still producing nice specimens. The cliffs are most active in the late winter/early spring when freeze/thaw cycles are spalling fresh material from the cliffs above. These pieces were picked last Saturday.
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (4”x3”x1”) – This piece shows unaltered quartz crystals, and tiny quartz balls that are covered with a druze of quartz crystal. The few quartz balls that are damaged show that the ball grew from coating darker core. Siliceous sinter forms the rest of the matrix.
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (4”x3”x1”)
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (4.5”x2.5”x1.5”)
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (3.5”x1.5”x1”)
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (5”x3”x1.5”)
Quartz Flower (2.5”x1.5”x1”)
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (3”x2.5”x1”)
Quartz and Siliceous Sinter (3.5”x2”x0.5”)
Siliceous Sinter (2.5”x1.5”x0.5”)
Darryl.
