Titanite, Diopside

Description

This specimen features a well-formed, wedge-shaped dark brown titanite crystal with another crystal intersecting it perpendicularly. Titanite's dark coloration and high luster make it difficult to photograph. The specimen comes from the modern-day classic locality Gibson Road East, colloquially known as Titanite Hill. Discovered by local collector Steve Smith around 1995, this well-known spot for local rockhounds is about 100 meters north of Gibsons Road. Since its discovery, the area has been exposed to reveal a much larger expanse, consisting of large crystals contained in or weathered out of calcite veins and pods in gneiss and amphibolite.