The American Museum of Natural History has some important minerals on display from the nearby volcanic traprock quarries of northeastern New Jersey. There is an exhibit case dedicated to these minerals, as well as sporadic representation of New Jersey traprock minerals in other cases. Many of the labels list the locality as "West Paterson," presumably referring to the Upper New Street Quarry, which is in fact in Paterson, and not West Paterson. Nevertheless, in our caption, we kept the "West Paterson" designation when used for lack of certainty.
The display case for the North Jersey traprock minerals has a plaque that states the following:
"A unique collection of minerals, resulting from volcanic activity, exists less than 20 miles west of New York City. Near Paterson, New Jersey, where lava flows had hardened into basalt, many of the fissures, vesicles, and other openings in the basaltic rock were filled or coated with a distinct assemblage of minerals. These include a range of related minerals known as the zeolites - Chabazite, Heulandite, Mesolite, Stilbite, and others. Attractive minerals such as Prehnite, Datolite, Pectolite, and Apophyllite are also present along with the zeolites. Because crushed basalt is a valuable rock for construction, many quarries once operated in the basaltic rock of northern New Jersey. Some of the minerals they uncovered, which number more than 60, can be seen here."
Primary Case of Volcanic Traprock Minerals from the Paterson Area, New Jersey
Thaumasite from Paterson, NJ
Franklin, New Jersey, is an old mining district that lies about 40 miles northwest of Manhattan. Its fame lies in its rich deposits of zinc, exploited through the 1950's. The Franklin Mine is world-famous for being the most proficient source of fluorescent minerals, and is known as the fluorescent capital of the world. It also has produced over 300 known minerals, one of the largest mineral counts for a single locality. Nearby, in the borough of Ogdensburg, is a continuation of the same ore vein, with the same assemblage of minerals. Both Franklin and Ogdensburg have produced very important mineral specimens, with old classics such as Rhodonite and Willemite within the cases of museums throughout the world. The American Museum of Natural History is no exception, having a special affinity to these locations due to their proximity.
Presented below are some of the minerals on display from Franklin and Ogdensburg, New Jersey. This post concludes our museum report on the American Museum of Natural History. However, visit our Instagram page for additional photos not included on these pages.
Barrel-Shaped Molybdenite Crystal from Sterling Hill, Ogdensburg, NJ
Native Copper from Franklin, NJ
Zincite, Odd Formation, from Franklin, NJ
