Detailed information
Species
Weloganite
Dimensions
69 x 67 x 33
mm
Weight
148 g
Locality
Francon Quarry Montréal, Québec Canada
Condition
No recorded repairs
Weloganite is one of those rare, instantly recognisable species, where good crystals are only associated with one locality - that being Francon quarry, Montréal, Québec, Canada. The quarry, which is the Type Locality, has long since ceased extraction, and is now completely surrounded by urban sprawl. This fine, small cabinet display specimen, has an open cavity containing a prominent 3.4 cm long yellow-orange Weloganite crystal. The crystal is not just large, but is unusually terminated to a point, or points. The crystal shows stepped growth lines perpendicular to the prism length, as is typical for this species. Weloganite is a geochemical curiosity - a hydrated sodium strontium zirconium carbonate - and is named in honour of a Welsh geologist who emigrated to Canada for work: William Edmond Logan (1798-1875). Crystals over 1 cm in length are rare, those on matrix are rarer still, but at over 3 cm in length this is a scientifically important specimen for the species.
