Uraninite (Crystals) — Eagles Nest Occurrence, Bancroft, Ontario

The Bancroft region of Ontario's Grenville Province is one of the world's classic uranium districts, and the Eagles Nest occurrence is among its more collectible addresses. Situated within the Precambrian metamorphic terrain of Hastings County, Eagles Nest produced uraninite — uranium dioxide, UO₂ — in its characteristic cubic habit, the same crystallographic form that has made octahedral and cubic uraninite crystals from a handful of global localities the benchmark of uranium mineral collecting. Bancroft-area uraninite formed as a primary accessory mineral within pegmatites intruded during Grenvillian orogenic events approximately 1.0–1.1 billion years ago, making these crystals among the oldest datable materials available to the mineral collector.

This specimen presents discrete uraninite crystals from the Eagles Nest, with the sooty to sub-metallic lustre and dense, heavy character diagnostic of the species. Uraninite is strongly radioactive, with activity contributions from both U-238 and U-235 decay chains and their accumulated daughter products; a sensitive detector will respond emphatically. A fine example of Ontario uranium mineralogy from a named occurrence within the Bancroft camp — a solid regional piece for the systematic collector building Canadian radioactive mineral coverage.

Strongly radioactive. Canada domestic shipping only.

Approx. specimen size: 35mm x 20mm x 10mm

Approx. specimen weight: 11.63 grams

Approx. specimen activity on a SE International Ranger EXP: 25000 CPM