Thorite - Kemp Prospect, Cardiff Township, Ontario, Canada

Thorite is thorium silicate, the thorium analogue of zircon, and this specimen comes from the Kemp Prospect. It shows the dense, dark, resinous look typical of the species, often with the brownish to black tones that come from radiation-driven alteration over geological time. Thorite is a much less common mineral than uraninite, and it is a species many radioactive mineral collections lack entirely.

Thorium minerals occupy a different corner of the radioactive mineral world from uranium, and thorite is the main primary thorium silicate. Specimens with a named prospect locality are particularly worthwhile for collectors building a Canadian suite or a systematic collection of radioactive species.

A good addition for anyone filling out the thorium side of a radioactive mineral collection.

Approx. specimen size: 19mm x 18mm x 11mm

Approx. specimen weight: 6.53 grams

Approx. specimen activity on an SE International Ranger EXP: 7300 CPM