A trap rock quarry in Watchung Basalt worked between 1893 and 1925. The New Street quarries exploited an area of the basalt that was extruded over a probable shallow wetland or lake, thus the lava cooled in pillows. The large interstitial spaces between the pillows yielded superb minerals. Housing units were constructed over the quarries in recent years but not before the blasting and excavations to "trim" the quarries for the construction yielded more superb specimens in the late 1980's.
References:
Mineral Collector 2:138-139, Ehrman, A.H. (1895).
Mineral Collector 15: 113-118, Papke, H. (1908).
Mason, B. (1960), Trap Rock Minerals of New Jersey, New Jersey Geological Survey Bull. #64.
Peters, T.A. & Peters, J.J. (1978), Mineralogical Record: 9: 157-179.
Peters, Joseph J. (1984), Triassic Traprock Minerals of Northern New Jersey, Rocks & Minerals: 59: 157-183.
Tschernich, R. (1992), Zeolites of the World: 115.
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Map Reference: 40°53'N , 74°11'W
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Mineral List:49 entries listed. 34 valid minerals.
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