Martin A. Becker is an assistant professor of geology in the Department of Physics at the College of New Jersey in Ewing. Paraphrasing from his book, 'Rocks and Minerals' he wrote:
The Millington quarry in Somerset County, NJ, can provide collectors with a varied selection of trap-rock minerals. Anhydrite, chalcedony, quartz, datolite, apophyllite, prehnite and zeolite.. The tops of zone three and zone two contain the majority of prehnite, zeolites and calcite.
Cummings (1985) compiled a list of twenty-four minerals occurring in Millington quarry and identified apophyllite, analcime, natrolite, and iron sulfides to be the most abundant. In contrast, Becker's experiences in the quarry identify prehnite, apophyllite, datolite, and calcite as the most commonly occurring minerals in all four zones.
I add the following because of your 'Paterson' connection.
"The reputation of the more famous Paterson and Prospect Park localities for producing fine trap-rock mineral specimens is one that has been established for more than one hundred years (e.g., Peters 1984; Peters, Peters, and Weber 1978). In contrast, Millington quarry offers collectors current and exciting alternative assemblages of trap-rock minerals that differ in color, luster, and crystal habit from their more famous counterparts.
Hopefully, this will narrow the number of choices. You might just submit a pic of your sample via email to Becker.
Let us know. Don.....
