Best of Connecticut

Mickey, Rt 25 and Rt 111 intersection is a different place than the Home Depot or Old Mine Plaza site, about 1/4 mile away uphill on Rt 111. The site was cleared for the plaza that didnt happen in the 1990s. But there was topaz and fluorite found at that intersection.

Harold,

Contact Jack Pawlowski. I believe he had material from O & G tested that was confirmed as Julgoldite.

Tony Albini

Pretty certain it is also Julgoldite. I have an analysis somewhere but I have moved so much recently that it may be a while before I find it.

Do any more veins exist on rt 25? i didnt see any of the outcrops on rt 25/111 intersection on google maps. Or if they do can you even collect them?

-Adam



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2012 01:40AM by Adam Berluti.

The veins definitely exist in the bedrock in that area. Problem is that Google maps which show terrain seem to indicate that the veins have been covered over. If I ever get back to CT again (I was born in Stamford), I will defintely check out the area. It used to be wonderful collecting. Always came home with several flats. Oh, and the micro fluorites from Rte. 111 were beautiful. I posted a picture of one in this thread some time ago.

I have scoped out that roadcut a few times and there were no more veins that I saw. There are likely some that are still there that I missed and I would say it would be a very good idea to go scope the cut out. The array of secondary species known from the cut and the quality of the specimens is remarkable for New England in general. The Long Hill area deserves more attention although in recent years it has received a lot of just that. Too bad Old Mine Plaza was built over although I would say it was remarkably well documented for a collecting site of its type. Still, someone should do some elemental analyses of the minerals found there. Several curious trace elements such as strontium and rubidium can be found in topaz and mica phases in the park and it would be interesting to see of there is any gradation in the concentrations of trace elements in these phases at ifferent sites int he region.

As someone who HAS scoped out that road cut many times from the car, my feeling is it would not be a wise thing to do. The police in the area patrol frequently and I would not want to be explaining myself on the side of a busy roadway in that area hammer and chisel in hand. Two years ago, a collecting friend and I had a miserable experience with law enforcement not a mile from the intersection. Although I take great pride at being able to talk my way out of any situation, it is not high on my list of priorities when out collecting. Of course, your mileage may vary.

I would consider any collecting activity at the junction of the very busy intersection of Rts 25 and 111 to be fruitless, dangerous, and as Dave points out, potentially involving incarceration. Nothing really there now. Working or even just looking at a roadcut these days is not recommended. The police pretty much must stop at any vehicle pulled over on the road (for various reasons: to check for stolen cars, breakdown assistance, injured or worse occupants, crazy idiot snipers, etc. etc.) and in this age of cell phones everywhere and paranoid "see something, say something" ads you have no idea the crazy interpretations of what you're doing that will be relayed to the "authorities"....not to mention the danger from traffic or errant drivers. In this busy state at least, they dont make for enjoyable collecting sites IMO.

Regarding the julgoldite, I'll check with Jack, I have no reason to dispute it, but it gives me the opportunity to ask folks who post minerals on mindat to fill out or edit the locality's mineral information pages (click on the little "i" in the blue dot to the left of the mineral name in the list) when doing so. Right now the julgoldite info page for O & G #2 locality says it is "confirmed" but leaves blank the confirmation method! OK, so what am I to conclude from that? If someone has done an analysis, please fill that part of the form out, it's an easy pick list! Most minerals will fall under "visual identification", though not this ambiguous species. Or write something in the comments box. A wealth of information on the size, color, crystal form, abundance, quality, etc. can be included here if folks would take the time to fill it out, even briefly. I havent gotten around to editing this locality yet, but would appreciate more details from those who have.

Thanks!

i have some localities to fix! this is from the hubbard park "zeolite" locale, which has more quartz than zeolites...

-Rowan Lytle

son: -picks up huge loose amethyst cluster- "Is this what we're looking for?"
father: "Holy #$@%!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2012 08:57PM by Rowan Lytle.

It is really a fantastic piece in person.... It was found along with several other lesser pieces on Saturday during a trip to more accurately list the zeolites there. I seem to be the first to acknowledge this find, because the drusy cavities were everywhere. However THIS IS ON THE SIDE OF A ROAD IN A STATE PARK. NO COLLECTING!!!

-Rowan Lytle

son: -picks up huge loose amethyst cluster- "Is this what we're looking for?"
father: "Holy #$@%!

Awesome specimen Rowan! To bad the place is on state land...

Hi Everyone, enjoying this thread.

I don't have time take photos to show all the specimens I would like in all the great threads that are running, so I have decided to try and pick one specimen for each thread. Hard choices.
My favourite specimen for Connecticut is this thumbnail of babingtonite druse on calcite peaks. I am not sure how common this is at the location but there are no pics in the gallery. I do not have a precise quarry, location is only indicated as Southbury, so maybe you Connecticut experts could help me out with that. Not the greatest photo as it is foggy here today in Southern Ontario.

Babingtonite on Calcite
Southbury, Connecticut.
approx 3 x 2 x 2 cm

Welcome to the thread Stephanie! Nice specimen!

[www.mindat.org]

[www.mindat.org]

The above links are two possibilities as to the origen of your piece. There are several other Quarries in Connecticut that are known for this mineral assemblage but since your piece is labeled Southbury, it is probably one of the above , more likely O and G Quarry number 2.

neither are actually in Southbury, but.....
The spot mine came from is a place I think you should take a look at David. It is something else!

-Rowan Lytle

son: -picks up huge loose amethyst cluster- "Is this what we're looking for?"
father: "Holy #$@%!

I know Rowan, both are in Woodbury but.... Pieces have been labeled that way for a long time. Right?

I'll take a look at your piece, Rowan. Always like looking at something new. :)-

yeah, they have been labeled like that since it was the silliman q.

-Rowan Lytle

son: -picks up huge loose amethyst cluster- "Is this what we're looking for?"
father: "Holy #$@%!

The Bedrock Geology of the Southbury Quadrangle, 1974, by Robert B. Scott says "A trap-rock quarry in the Triassic basalts is a few meters west of the junction of State Route 172 and U.S. 202 and 6." Could be the source. Beautiful babintonite. Best that I have ever seen from CT.

Interestingly, and harking back to a previous post which stimulated a lot of interest, Scott says " Hovey (1890) mentioned the presence of gold and silver in the metamorphic rocks drilled during oil exploration in th Pomperaug Valley: "At 1,250 feet free-milling gold and silver-bearing rock was struck, which ASSAYED (my emphasis) at $10 worth of gold and $3 worth of silver to the ton." "

Interesting...

-Rowan Lytle

son: -picks up huge loose amethyst cluster- "Is this what we're looking for?"
father: "Holy #$@%!

Mickey:
If you believe that assay, then I have a bridge in NYC for sale More like a ploy by the backers to "mine" investors.
The more interesting part of that 1890 Hovey article is the petroleum info. I've seen a piece of oil shale from the Pomperaug Basin that was literally oozing oil....you could light it with a match. There's petroleum all over the Hartford Basin, too, and exploration was done in the 1980s. But that's a story for another thread.

Stephanie:
Those nice babingtonites on calcite are from the O&G Quarry No.2. That is essentially the main "Southbury" locality, even though mostly in Woodbury, it has always been casually called or labelled Southbury - see the text I wrote on the mindat page.
Fritz

Thank you all for your help and information, especially Harold (Fritz) for confirming the locale. I hope to get a better photo this weekend and will then upload to the gallery as there are no babingtonite photos yet for that location.

cheers,
stephanie