Prehnite ''casts'' after Anhydrite with Natrolite (ex Ken McKim Collection)

Item Description

The quarry at Upper New Street is over 100 years old (it opened in 1893). During the mid 1980's to early 1990's, there was a lot of collecting that took place between the Upper New Street and Lower Street Quarries in an area that is affectionately referred to by some as "Middle New Street". The majority of the specimens from this area are still labeled as being found at Upper New Street even though they were not found in the quarry itself. Nonetheless, this is one of the most famous Trap Rock quarries in New Jersey and is probably most famous for its amazing and unique Prehnite casts after Anhydrite (sometimes called "fingers" or "snakeheads"). This specimen consists of a classic group of globular aggregates of "water green" color Prehnite forming hollow ''casts'' (epimorphs/perimorphs) after Anhydrite with minor associated radial "sprays" of off-white colored Natrolite. If you look inside some of the ''casts'' you can see thin striations lines, indicating the orthorhombic prism faces of where the Anhydrites once grew. These pieces are no longer being quarried and will remain as some of the most significant Prehnites of any kind from any locality world wide. A nice Trap Rock display specimen from this significant New Jersey locality. Ex Ken McKim collection.