PECTOLITE (small cabinet)

Pectolite is a mineral characterized by its white to gray coloration, with the chemical formula NaCa2Si3O8(OH). This sodium calcium hydroxide inosilicate crystallizes in the triclinic system, often forming radiated or fibrous masses. It has a Mohs hardness ranging from 4.5 to 5 and a specific gravity between 2.7 and 2.9. A notable variety, known as larimar, exhibits a pale to sky blue hue, while a whitish variant from Alaska is sometimes referred to as 'Alaska jade'.

Pectolite was first identified in 1828 at Mount Baldo in Trento Province, Italy, deriving its name from the Greek words for "compacted" and "stone." This mineral is primarily found in nepheline syenites, within hydrothermal cavities in basalts and diabase, and in serpentinites, often in association with zeolites, datolite, prehnite, calcite, and serpentine. It is distributed across various locations around the globe.

This specimen is from the New Street Quarry, Paterson, New Jersey
Personally collected by John Betts (collection # 11667) in 1989