Detailed information
Species
Native Gold, Quartz, Tourmaline
Dimensions
52 x 55 x 18
mm
Weight
62 g
Locality
Val d'Or, La Vallée-de-l'Or RCM Abitibi-Témiscamingue Québec, Canada
Condition
No recorded repairs
A rare and fascinating Native Gold from the important 'Valley of Gold' (Val d'Or) region in Québec, Canada. For an area that produced so much gold (over 450 metric tons from 27 mines) rich display specimens of Native Gold metal are rare. This very large miniature specimen, a thin plate, is visibly very rich in Native Gold, but is also important in showing its association with very dark green, to almost black, flat-lying radiating acicular/prismatic crystals of what one assumes is either a variety of tourmaline or Actinolite, showing the unusual geological origin of the gold in this deposit. The main body of the specimen is massive grey-white Quartz with the Native Gold clearly focused around the areas where the tourmaline/Actinolite is developed. A rare survivor from this historically important Canadian gold-mining region.