Diamond Ledge (West Stafford quartz locality; Stafford Springs quartz locality), Stafford, Tolland County, Connecticut, USAi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Diamond Ledge (West Stafford quartz locality; Stafford Springs quartz locality) | - not defined - |
| Stafford | Town |
| Tolland County | County |
| Connecticut | State |
| USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
41° 58' 28'' North , 72° 21' 9'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford Springs | 4,988 (2017) | 4.7km |
| Crystal Lake | 1,945 (2017) | 5.2km |
| Stafford | 12,029 (2017) | 5.4km |
| Somers | 1,789 (2017) | 7.8km |
| Hampden | 5,261 (2017) | 11.1km |
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
| Club | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Valley Mineral Club | Springfield, Massachusetts | 24km |
The initial discovery of this mineralized, brecciated fault zone cutting the Clough Quartzite is unknown, but it was mentioned by Elwell (1940):
This locality was somewhat inaccessible due to many large pine trees growing on the site. The hurricane [presumably of 1938], however, blew them all down and a portable sawmill cut them up into boards. Furthermore a new wood road follows the brook to the locality. The ledge is now an open spot with no trees and easily reached.
After this it may have become more popular, as Zodac reported in 1948:
Some very nice quartz crystals, mostly milky, have been found at Diamond Ledge, and one of the nicest specimens seen was presented to the writer (March 4, 1948) by Albert M. Smith, of Wallingford, Conn. It is 3 x 7 inches in size and consists of 12 large milky quartz crystals (the largest is 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 2 inches long), and many tiny ones, on a massive milky quartz base.
A letter from Mr. Smith gave us the following information on his find:
"Last year, four of us Wallingford boys went to the West Stafford locality where we found a large rock with a deep crack in it. With the aid of a crowbar and sledge hammers we pried it open and to our surprise found a cavity inside that was just full of these crystals."
Other minerals found at the locality are limonite (brown stains on quartz which spoils many crystals), muscovite as tiny flakes in the quartzite, and tiny rock crystals in quartz veins.
A letter from Mr. Smith gave us the following information on his find:
"Last year, four of us Wallingford boys went to the West Stafford locality where we found a large rock with a deep crack in it. With the aid of a crowbar and sledge hammers we pried it open and to our surprise found a cavity inside that was just full of these crystals."
Other minerals found at the locality are limonite (brown stains on quartz which spoils many crystals), muscovite as tiny flakes in the quartzite, and tiny rock crystals in quartz veins.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsMineral List
5 valid minerals.
* - Minerals that have never been found, but their existence is inferred in some way (e.g. from pseudomorphs)
Detailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Anhydrite Formula: CaSO4 Habit: tabular Description: Tabular crystals to 3 cm that were epimorphed or encrusted by drusy quartz before later naturally dissolving away leaving voids. References: |
| ⓘ Goethite Formula: Fe3+O(OH) Habit: encrustations Colour: dark brown Description: Dark brown encrusting layer typically covering the quartz when found, usually cleaned off. References: |
| ⓘ 'K Feldspar' References: |
| ⓘ 'K Feldspar var. Adularia' Formula: KAlSi3O8 References: |
| ⓘ Laumontite Formula: CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O Habit: acicular Description: Crystals epimorphed by radial-growth quartz, then later dissolved leaving molds with rectangular cross-sections. References: |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 References: |
| ✪ Quartz Formula: SiO2 Habit: stubby prismatic, complex parallel-growth, corn cob Colour: colorless to milky (typically in an outer zone) Description: large complex crystals to 10 cm or more, smaller crystals radially encrusted acicular laumontite creating coarse columns of crystals |
| ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst Formula: SiO2 References: |
| ✪ Quartz var. Milky Quartz Formula: SiO2 Habit: stubby prismatic, complex parallel-growth, corn cob Colour: colorless to milky Description: large complex crystals to 10 cm or more, smaller crystals radially encrusted acicular laumontite creating coarse columns of crystals |
| ⓘ Quartz var. Smoky Quartz Formula: SiO2 References: |
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Goethite | 4.00. | Fe3+O(OH) |
| ⓘ | Quartz var. Amethyst | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 | |
| ⓘ | var. Smoky Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | var. Milky Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Anhydrite ? | 7.AD.30 | CaSO4 |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Laumontite | 9.GB.10 | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'K Feldspar var. Adularia' | - | KAlSi3O8 |
| ⓘ | '' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| H | ⓘ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ K Feldspar var. Adularia | KAlSi3O8 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Anhydrite | CaSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| O | ⓘ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz var. Smoky Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz var. Milky Quartz | SiO2 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ K Feldspar var. Adularia | KAlSi3O8 |
| Al | ⓘ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ K Feldspar var. Adularia | KAlSi3O8 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz var. Smoky Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz var. Milky Quartz | SiO2 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Anhydrite | CaSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ K Feldspar var. Adularia | KAlSi3O8 |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Anhydrite | CaSO4 |
| Ca | ⓘ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Ganderia DomainDomain
- GranderiaPassive Margin
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Diamond Ledge, Stafford, Tolland County, Connecticut, USA