Quartz "cast" after Anhydrite (ex Brian Kosnar 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 piece doesn't have any Prehnite, but it is a very attractive hand sized cabinet specimen from this locality. It features dozens of hollow, somewhat blocky, "casts" (now properly referred to as perimorphs - not epimorphs) of Quartz replacing prismatic crystals of Anhydrite. The Anhydrite originally formed in a radial spray, but was later completely replaced by a solution of Quartz which dissolved the Anhydrite but kept the preexisting form. A great Trap Rock display specimen from this significant New Jersey locality. From the collection of Brian Kosnar.