New York State Academy of Mineralogy (NYSAM)
Minerals of the Franklin Marble
The Franklin Marble is a late Precambrian (900 Ma to 1 billion years) shallow sea carbonate sequence that was metamorphosed at high temperature (836 degrees C)
and moderate pressure (4 - 7 kilobars) during the Grenville Orogeny. It is exposed as a continuous band, about 20 miles long and up to 2 miles wide,
from southern New York into northern
New Jersey. In New Jersey, it hosts the well known Franklin and Sterling Hill zinc deposits where around 350 minerals species have been described.
The minerals clintonite, edenite, fluoropargasite, and warwickite were described for the first time as species new to science from the classic
Franklin Marble localities of Amity, Edenville and Warwick in Orange County, New York. These species, as well as, spinel, chondrodite, allanite, apatite,
tourmaline and others, were the subject of many scientific mineralogical studies and now highlight many museum mineral collections worldwide.
The Academy of Mineralogy is a not for profit organization dedicated to promoting
a greater understanding and appreciation of the minerals and mineralogy of New York State. The chief goals of the organization are to work
with the New York State Museum to promote the study of New York State's mineralogy and
to facilitate the gathering of exceptional individual specimens and outstanding collections for preservation in the New York State Museum.