A view of the wall of the Rose Quartz Pit, composed entirely of quartz and feldspar
The Rose Quartz Pit
About 60 km NE of Bancroft, deep in the mysterious northern woods, is the Rose Quartz Pit, one of very few places in Canada where rose quartz has been found in large quantities. The rose quartz is mined, on a small scale, for decorative stone, with the deepest pink and most transparent material reserved for gems or carvings. The pink color is caused by microscopic inclusions of a mineral called dumortierite.
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A view of the wall of the Rose Quartz Pit, composed entirely of quartz and feldspar |
While the rose quartz is by far the most abundant mineral at this locality, there are some other minerals available for the collector. This is a site for the lapidary or perhaps the species collector, not a source of large, pretty crystals. Cutting grade milky and smoky quartz are present, as well as reddish feldspar; more unusual minerals like ferrocolumbite, large beryl crystals, and zircon can occasionally be found.
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The Rose Quartz Pit is a fee site, open by appointment only, contact the owners at: AquaRose Gems & Minerals Dave & Renee Paterson 1327 Lower Craigmont Road Combermere, On K0J 1L0 613-756-1361
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A boulder of rose quartz almost a meter across |
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Cleaned and graded rose quartz ready for sale |
More information:
While your're there, hit this site: Mineralogy of the Beryl Pit
Sabina, A. (1971) Rocks and Minerals for the Collector, Ottawa to North Bay, Ontario; Hull to Waltham, Quebec; GSC Paper 70-50