Eudialyte, Thorite & Agrellite — Kipawa Alkaline Complex, Quebec, Canada

The Kipawa Alkaline Complex, located near Témiscaming in western Quebec, is one of the truly world-class mineral localities of the Grenville Province. Formed roughly a billion years ago during the Grenville Orogeny, this peralkaline igneous complex is exceptionally enriched in rare-earth elements, zirconium, thorium, and fluorine — a geochemical cocktail that has produced over 100 mineral species, many rare or found nowhere else on Earth. It is, quite simply, one of Canada's premier localities for collectors of exotic and scientifically significant minerals.

This specimen brings together three of Kipawa's signature species in a single piece. Eudialyte, a complex zirconium silicate, appears here as vibrant raspberry-red to magenta masses, a hallmark indicator of the complex's peralkaline character. Alongside it sits agrellite, a rare sodium-calcium fluorosilicate for which Kipawa is the type locality — typically forming pearly white to grayish elongated laths, and famous among fluorescent mineral collectors for its intense pink to magenta glow under shortwave UV, driven by cerium substitution in its crystal structure. Rounding out the trio is thorite, a thorium silicate whose presence here is directly tied to the radiometric anomaly that first drew geological interest to this complex — altered thorite from Kipawa often carries a distinctive yellow, waxy appearance and can itself fluoresce under UV due to associated uranyl activation.

Together, these three minerals tell the story of Kipawa's extraordinary geochemistry in one specimen: a rare-earth and zirconium powerhouse, a fluorine-rich type locality mineral, and a radioactive accessory phase all sharing the same matrix. It's a compelling piece for collectors of Canadian minerals, fluorescent minerals, or radioactive specimens alike, and a fine representative of one of the Grenville Province's most storied localities. 

Though this specimen does contain Thorite, it is extremely weakly radioactive, barely above background measurements.

Specimen Details:

Approx. specimen size: 70mm x 50mm x 45mm

Approx. specimen weight: 244 grams