Gallery 6
Quartz Mineral Specimens
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Q-327 Amethyst $55
Kingston Range, San Bernardino County, California
5 x 6 x 4.5 cm.
Besides looking for new finds when I go to the Tucson Show each year, I'm constantly looking for hard to find material and classic locality specimens. This Amethyst specimen fits into the category of the latter two. This location has been known since the early 1900's when Tiffany & Co. developed this area for Amethyst to use in its jewelry. This is a formidable location to dig at as the Mountain does not give up its treasures easily. This specimen was found in late 2010. A lot of the material from this find has unusual color-zoning, as if it started out as milky Quartz with oriented bands of Amethyst and a final, micro-thin layer of clear Quartz.
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Q-328 Amethyst $65 SOLD
Kingston Range, San Bernardino County, California
10 x 10 x 11 cm.
Besides looking for new finds when I go to the Tucson Show each year, I'm constantly looking for hard to find material and classic locality specimens. This Amethyst specimen fits into the category of the latter two. This location has been known since the early 1900's when Tiffany & Co. developed this area for Amethyst to use in its jewelry. This is a formidable location to dig at as the Mountain does not give up its treasures easily. This specimen was found in late 2010. A lot of the material from this find has unusual color-zoning, as if it started out as milky Quartz with oriented bands of Amethyst and a final, micro-thin layer of clear Quartz.
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Q-335 Quartz (Japan-law twins) with Scorodite $135
Kami Mine, Cochabamba Department, Bolivia
11.5 x 6 x 5 cm.
We've all seen plenty of Vivianites and Sulfurs coming from Bolivia, but not superb Quartz specimens such as this one. This specimen has numerous Japan-law-twinned crystals, at least 17, by my count, the largest being 2 x 2 cm. in size. This was a hard specimen to photograph and looks much, much better in person. This one of the specimens that was collected in 1993 by Alfredo Petrov and Jaroslav Hyrsl (the latter being the person who, literally, wrote the book on Quartz).
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Q-338 Quartz on Smoky Quartz $30
Mount Malosa, Zomba District, Malawi
6.8 x 2.5 x 1.8 cm.
Here we have a clear Smoky Quartz crystal that has a peculiar overgrowth of milky Quartz. The brown patch (including some growth hillocks, indicating regrowth) at the rear of the crystal is where it abutted another Quartz crystal during its growth, and it allows us a fine view into the smoky interior. A curious Quartz crystal from a now classic mineral locality.
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Q-332 Quartz with Chlorite inclusions $30
Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
9 x 2.8 x 3 cm.
This unusual included Quartz has three faces that are extremely clear and glassy and three that have a more coarse and sandy texture. The glassy surface exhibits a very interesting, tessellating growth pattern. As well as possessing an unusual termination, this specimen has patches of a very soft, blebby dark mineral. When viewed from the bottom, the sectional structure that runs up the length of the crystal is revealed. This specimen is far better in person than in the photos.
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Q-333 Quartz with Dravite inclusions $40
Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
8.2 x 2.5 x 1.8 cm.
This Quartz crystal is very gemmy and has many sprays of a gray-blue fibrous mineral, that according to Luiz Menezes has been analyzed and found to be Dravite, included within. An unusual included-Quartz specimen in my opinion.
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Q-334 Quartz
with Rutile inclusions $25
(double terminated)
Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
5 x 1.6 x 1.3 cm.
This gemmy crystal is loaded with needles of the Titanium mineral, Rutile. Many of the Rutile needles protrude slightly from this double-terminated Quartz crystal. This is one of the more unusual Rutilated Quartz crystals that I have seen.
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Q-275 Amethyst-Smoky Quartz scepter $125
Santa Maria do Jetiba, Espírito Santo, Brazil
10 x 6.2 x 4.7 cm.
This specimen of scepter Quartz is from a location that produces some very interesting crystals. This crystal has a termination of Amethyst a middle zone that is nearly clear and colorless with a ring of slightly Smoky Quartz at the base of the head of the scepter. The stem of the scepter is translucent and colorless. The termination of this specimen has many interesting-looking growth hillocks. A fine example of scepter Quartz from a country that has a seemingly endless and diverse supply of minerals.
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Q-267 Smoky Quartz on Dolomite $35
Zermatt, Valais, Switzerland
5.3 x 4.9 x 3.3 cm.
This specimen features numerous gemmy crystals of Smoky Quartz, several of which are dusted with Chlorite, perched on a matrix of Dolomite. Except for the famous Lengenbach Quarry, Dolomite is a relatively rare mineral for Valais, Switzerland and is even rarer from the Zermatt area. This showy and fine plate of Smoky Quartz crystals on the matrix of sharp, snow-white Dolomite makes for a very aesthetic specimen. A very uncommon mineral association for this noted and classic locality.
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Q-258 Amethyst $60
Osilo, Sassari Province, Sardinia, Italy
9.5 x 6.5 x 3.9 cm.
A vuggy specimen of gemmy Amethyst crystals from a classic locality. These gemmy Amethyst specimens from Sardinia were at one time abundant but it has been a while since I've seen any really good examples of this material for sale. The label accompanying this specimen indicates that it was obtained in May of 1973.
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Q-222 Rose Quartz on Smoky Quartz with Albite $365
Berilo Branco Claim, Galiléia, Doce Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil
8 x 7 x 5.5 cm.
This specimen of Rose Quartz on Smoky Quartz is from the original location where Rose Quartz was first discovered in Brazil. The first finds were made early in 1959 and were worked until 1961. Sporadic work continued there until around the late 1980's with occasional specimens being found there. The mine was abandoned in 1991 and has been caved in and overgrown by vegetation. Lustrous and glassy Rose Quartz crystals accent the Smoky Quartz crystal on this fine specimen. This specimen is complete all around except an area of contact on the rear, but is not damaged. When exactly this particular specimen was found is not known but it has a significant historical value nonetheless. A worthy addition to any mineral collection.
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Q-208 Quartz (faden habit) with Chlorite $80
Goschenen Valley, Uri, Switzerland
5.5 x 4.3 x .8 cm
This specimen of clear Quartz exhibits a features that Alpine Quartz specimens are noted for. “The Faden” growth habit (German for "string", in reference to the line running down the center of the crystal) habit. The upper portion of this crystal is liberally coated by the mineral Chlorite. The Chlorite accentuates the physical features of the crystal growth.
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Q-180 Quartz $70 SOLD
Eric's Hole, Winnemucca District, Humboldt County, Nevada
11.5 x 7.6 x 8.5 cm.
One of the great things about Nevada besides the abundance of Gold, other metals, Barite, et al; is the mind-boggling number of localities where you can collect Quartz crystals. This fist-sized crystal hails from the northwestern corner of Nevada and exhibits skeletal growth on its front face. A good locality piece suitable for any collector of Quartz.
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Q-218 Quartz with Hedengergite inclusions $150
Serifos Island, Kykládes Prefecture, Greece
5.7 x 2.9 x 2 cm.
After Laurium, the small island of Serifos (where iron has been mined since Roman times) is probably the most renowned mineral locality in Greece, especially for these world-class specimens of Quartz heavily included by the mineral Hedenbergite. These crystals are thought to have grown in irregular cavities encompassing the fibrous Hedenbergite which had formed earlier, filling the cavities. These included Quartz specimens were first brought to market in quantity at the 1988 Tucson Mineral Show, & only occasional small lots have trickled out into the mineral market afterwards. Specimens of these amazing crystals are hard to come by these days.
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Q-174 Quartz with Hedenbergite inclusions $185
Serifos Island, Kykládes Prefecture, Greece
6.2 x 4.5 x 2 cm.
After Laurium, the small island of Serifos (where iron has been mined since Roman times) is probably the most renowned mineral locality in Greece, especially for these world-class specimens of Quartz heavily included by the mineral Hedenbergite. These crystals are thought to have grown in irregular cavities encompassing the fibrous Hedenbergite which had formed earlier, filling the cavities. These included Quartz specimens were first brought to market in quantity at the 1988 Tucson Mineral Show, & only occasional small lots have trickled out into the mineral market afterwards. This specimen was found recently in the “Broken Leg pocket” and has a more bluish color than previous finds. Specimens of these amazing crystals are hard to come by these days.
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Q-173 Quartz with Hedenbergite inclusions $170
Serifos Island, Kykládes Prefecture, Greece
7.2 x 1.5 x .9 cm.
After Laurium, the small island of Serifos (where iron has been mined since Roman times) is probably the most renowned mineral locality in Greece, especially for these world-class specimens of Quartz heavily included by the mineral Hedenbergite. These crystals are thought to have grown in irregular cavities encompassing the fibrous Hedenbergite which had formed earlier, filling the cavities. These included Quartz specimens were first brought to market in quantity at the 1988 Tucson Mineral Show, & only occasional small lots have trickled out into the mineral market afterwards. This Quartz specimen was found recently in the “Broken Leg Pocket”. Specimens of these amazing crystals are hard to come by these days.
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Q-175 Quartz with Hedenbergite inclusions $150
Serifos Island, Kykládes Prefecture, Greece
5.8 x 2.9 x 1.9 cm.
After Laurium, the small island of Serifos (where iron has been mined since Roman times) is probably the most renowned mineral locality in Greece, especially for these world-class specimens of Quartz heavily included by the mineral Hedenbergite. These crystals are thought to have grown in irregular cavities encompassing the fibrous Hedenbergite which had formed earlier, filling the cavities. These included Quartz specimens were first brought to market in quantity at the 1988 Tucson Mineral Show, & only occasional small lots have trickled out into the mineral market afterwards. This Quartz specimen was found recently in the “Broken Leg Pocket”. Specimens of these amazing crystals are hard to come by these days.
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Q-146 Quartz on Fluorite $75
Weardale, North Pennines, County Durham, England
10 x 9 x 4 cm.
This specimen features a pair of yellow and green Fluorite crystals, completely covered by hundreds of tiny Quartz crystals. The dark spots on the side and top of the specimen are due to inclusions of sulfide minerals, accenting the 3-dimensionality of this specimen. This specimen, while relatively shallow in thickness, is not broken, but rather it is contacted on the bottom where it was attached to its matrix. The numerous Fluorite mines in County Durham and the surrounding areas have long been renowned for their prolific production of minerals during the last several centuries.
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Q-138 Smoky Quartz with Adularia $700
St. Gotthard Massif, Leventina, Ticino, Switzerland
16.5 x 9.5 x 10.5 cm.
A very clear cluster of medium-to-dark brown Smoky Quartz crystals accented by numerous crystals of the variety of Feldspar, Adularia. The largest Quartz crystal on this specimen measures 7 x 4 cm. and features a very interesting pair of V-shaped crystal faces near its termination, resulting in the jagged-looking outline in the photo above. Two of the smaller Quartz crystals have rough-looking terminations, which are due to being re-healed while in situ. Fine, undamaged Swiss Quartz specimens are hard to come by as the local collectors tend to keep the best for themselves, which is understandable, considering the extreme conditions and altitudes under which these magnificent mineral specimens are collected.
Quartz Mineral Specimens Page 2
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