Tourmaline occurrence, Bethel, Fairfield County, Connecticut, USAi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Tourmaline occurrence | Outcrop |
| Bethel | - not defined - |
| Fairfield County | County |
| Connecticut | State |
| USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
41° North , 73° West (est.)
Estimate based on other nearby localities or region boundaries.
Margin of Error:
~2km
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Outcrops of annite-chlorite schist (probably Rowe Schist) within 100 m or so of the Biermann pegmatite (but unrelated to it) were historically rich in black to dark brown tourmaline porphyroblasts. After 100 years or so there is little left and their presence in a state park precludes any additional collecting. The DEEP is concerned about digging in wetland areas that abut some of the outcrops as many crystals were found in soil.
The crystals are typically euhedral and doubly-terminated with non-tapered, elongated prisms and simple trigonal terminations on both ends. Historically they have been labeled as schorl or dravite but few analyses are available. They could be either or both or even vary within a single crystal, so they are best labeled as dravite-schorl series. The crystals and matrix are essentially identical to the Great Ring Farm tourmaline locality in Newtown http://www.mindat.org/loc-224151.html.
NOTE: Into the 1980s, collecting permission could be obtained from the park ranger (Hiller, 1982). However, it is no longer allowed. All mineral collecting in Collis P. Huntington State Park is illegal and will be prosecuted.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| ✪ 'Dravite-Schorl Series' Habit: elongated prismatic with trigonal terminations Colour: black to very dark brown Description: Short to elongated (along c axis) prisms with simple rhombohedral terminations, commonly doubly.
Januzzi: (1994): "I was recently informed (Schooner, private communication) that outstanding tourmaline crystals were collected, at the Bierman Quarry, that were between 4-5 inches long and about 2½ inches in width. These dravites occurred, in an area of tourmaline bearing schist, bordering the pegmatite dike.
Fine doubly terminated crystals of tourmaline occur in the mica schist in the immediate area of the pegmatite locality. The crystals show the typical hemihedral form with well developed rhombohedral terminations; more than the usual number of prismatic faces are present so that the characteristic vertical striations often seen on specimens of tourmaline are wanting in the well formed specimens." |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Unclassified | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | 'Dravite-Schorl Series' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Piedmontia DomainDomain
- Taconic ArcVolcanic Arc
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Tourmaline occurrence, Bethel, Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA