Wendy & Frank Melanson Collection Frank and Wendy Melanson put together a world-class thumbnail collection over the years, and one strength of the collection is the depth of certain Canadian localities. Although by no means comprehensive, the Mont St. Hilaire suite is particularly strong with fine examples of a wide array of species and associations. Mont St. Hilaire is one of the world’s greatest mineral localities with over 400 species represented, and it is the type locality for more than 60 of them.

Here is a sharp lustrous single crystal of aegirine. Aegirine is often associated with other minerals at Mont St. Hilaire, but this one stands alone. Wendy and Frank Melanson acquired this one from the Neal Pfaff collection in 1979, and Neal got it from Ron Sohn in 1977 at the Louisville Show.