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Gallery 6 Quartz Specimens |
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Q-509 faden Quartz with Smectite $50 Wana, South Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan 4.3 x 2.2 x .7 cm A very clear Quartz crystal coated with blue-colored smectite. Faden Quartz crystals from Pakistan have been around for a while but are almost never seen associated with other minerals. I acquired a couple dozen of these colorful specimens at the 2008 Springfield Mineral show. I was a little skeptical about the blue mineral present on the specimens, having been told that it was Smectite. A quick visit to Alfredo Petrov's booth resulted in him stating that it could be Smectite, although neither one of us had seen such vividly colored examples of this mineral. After testing the specimen to ensure that the specimen had not been dyed, I then sent a sample for XRD analysis. The results confirmed that it was indeed Smectite. This specimen represents one of the best Faden Quartz mineral associations from Pakistan.
Q-510 faden Quartz with Smectite $50 Wana, South Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan 4.3 x 2.6 x 1.2 A very clear Quartz crystal coated with blue-colored smectite. Faden Quartz crystals from Pakistan have been around for a while but are almost never seen associated with other minerals. I acquired a couple dozen of these colorful specimens at the 2008 Springfield Mineral show. I was a little skeptical about the blue mineral present on the specimens, having been told that it was Smectite. A quick visit to Alfredo Petrov's booth resulted in him stating that it could be Smectite, although neither one of us had seen such vividly colored examples of this mineral. After testing the specimen to ensure that the specimen had not been dyed, I then sent a sample for XRD analysis. The results confirmed that it was indeed Smectite. This specimen represents one of the best Faden Quartz mineral associations from Pakistan.
Q-513 Amethyst
on Smoky Quartz $30 Crystal Ridge, Johnson Spring, Inyo Mountains, Inyo County, CA 3.3 x 1.3 x 1.4 cm Here we have a strangely-formed scepter crystal consisting of a smoky-colored body crowned with a semi-clear and double-terminated Amethyst.
Q-508 Smoky Quartz & Albite $60 Aiguille du Tacul, Mont Blanc Massif, Chamonix, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France 6.2 x 2.3 x 2.2 cm A gem-clear Smoky Quartz crystal capped with well-formed crystals of Albite. This specimen is from a location in the French Alps that is surrounded by numerous glaciers, making for difficult collecting conditions.
Q-458 Amethyst $65 Purple Haze Amethyst Mine, Tartan Lake Area, Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada 6.8 x 5.8 x 4 cm This superb specimen of dark, smoky-purple crystals of Amethyst hails from the world famous Thunder Bay District of Ontario, Canada. Amethyst specimens such as this one have been held in high regard by collectors for many, many years and rightly so. This specimen is complete all around and can be displayed in many different orientations. Collecting at Thunder Bay is extremely difficult, but the beauty of these specimens makes it all the more worthwhile.
Q-500 Smoky Quartz $75 Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM, Montérégie, Québec, Canada 6.2 x 2.2 x 2.1 cm When one thinks of pegmatites, one usually assumes that a significant portion of the minerals found there will be Quartz. However, at Mont Saint-Hilaire, this is not the case as most of the Quartz crystals are found in the non-pegmatite rock formations. While Quartz crystals to 15 cm. have occasionally been found, they are typically opaque & crudely formed. This translucent, double-terminated Quartz crystal exhibits multiple stages of growth with distinct color zoning throughout the crystal. Specimens from this classic location are getting hard to come by as collecting is restricted to one or two field trips per year, to small groups (drawn by lottery) of members of the Club de Minéralogie de Montréal, under very strict rules.
Q-475 Quartz with Montmorillonite inclusions $75 White Queen Mine, Pala, San Diego County, CA 6 x 3.5 x 4 cm A classic Quartz from the pegmatites of northern San Diego County. In 1970's several pockets with Quartz crystals with pink & tan Montmorillonite inclusions were found at the White Queen Mine. Many of these crystals, especially the larger ones, were sawn in half & polished to better show these inclusions. What saved this one from being brutalized by saw and lap is the fact that a portion of this crystal had dissolved and re-crystallized leaving a cavernous indentation. The faces of this crystal that haven't been etched are glassy which is uncommon for this material. Examples of these crystals are rarely seen these days.
Q-482 Smoky Quartz on Microcline $60 Andrzej II Quarry, Zólkiewka, Swidnica, Lower Silesia, Poland 6.5 x 5.5 x 3.2 cm Two very clear Smoky Quartz crystals aesthetically set on a matrix of well-formed crystals of Microcline. A neat feature of this piece is the overgrowth of transparent Microcline that covers the front and some of the top of this specimen. A little edge-wear is noted on the larger Quartz but does not take anything away from this specimen.
Q-490 Quartz
with Boulangerite $45 Herja Mine, Chiuzbaia, Baia Mare, Maramures, Romania 6.5 x 5.1 x 3.1 cm A plate of glassy Quartz crystals included by the sulfide mineral, Boulangerite. The well-formed crystals sit on a matrix of other undetermined sulfides. A great locality piece.
Q-480 Amethyst on Tourmaline $80 Conselheiro Pena District, Conselheiro Pena, Minas Gerais, Brazil 4.2 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm Here's a mineral association that is pretty much never seen. This glossy Schorl crystal is covered by translucent-transparent crystals of Amethyst. Amethyst crystals on Schorl are quite rare in the mineral kingdom. Although there have been a few instances of this association found in Namibia recently, specimens of this material from Brazil are almost nonexistent. This specimen is complete all-around with no damage.
Q-449 Smoky Quartz with fuid inclusion $40 Glenwood, Pike County, Arkansas 5.8 x 3.5 x 2.8 cm. Naturally occurring Smoky Quartz from Arkansas is extremely rare. This glassy and transparent crystal is a complete, all-around floater and is pristine. The contacted, flat base is damage-free. As a bonus this crystal also has a fluid inclusion with a gas bubble as indicated by the arrow marked on the side. This Quartz crystal was collected in 1939-40 by Glenn H. Hodson who, years later, became a mineral dealer in Scottsdale, Arizona. Double-terminated Smoky Quartz crystals of this quality from the Ouachita Mountains, not Hot Springs, are rarely available.
Q-464 Amethyst $50 Djurkovo Mine, Djurkovo Complex, Laki, Laki Obshtina, Plovdiv Oblast, Bulgaria 8.9 x 5.6 x 5.6 cm This specimen features many double-terminated and clear Quartz crystals showing faint Amethyst phantoms. This cluster of Quartz is almost a floater with just a small area of contact on its bottom, just below the fattest crystal.
Q-486 Quartz with Siderite & Cosalite $45 Kara-Oba W Deposit, Betpakdala Desert, Karazhal, Karaganda Region, Kazakhstan 8.5 x 5.3 x 3.5 cm A pair of water-clear Quartz crystals with a jacket of opaque Quartz. A dusting of green-brown-colored Siderite lends a nice accent of color to this specimen. The area on the rear where the quartz crystals grew against other Quartz crystals allows you to see the gemmy interior which has inclusions of the uncommon lead, bismuth sulfosalt, Cosalite.
Q-503 Quartz & Hematite $50 Jinlong Hill, Longchuan County, Heyuan, Guangdong, China 6 x 5.7 x 4.9 cm This specimen hails from small deposit that is worked by local farmers for mineral specimens. This specimen features prismatic water clear Quartz crystals rising from a matrix of black, bladed rosettes of Hematite crystals.
Q-476 Amethyst $35 Getchell Mine, Adam Peak, Potosi District, Osgood Mts, Humboldt County, NV 6.2 x 5 x 3.5 The Getchell mine is famous for its stunning specimens of Realgar and Galkhaite. Top notch Quartz crystals with good form can be found there too but are seldom seen as they are almost always covered in a cement-like layer of clay that is extemely difficult to remove. This specimen came from a haul of crystals recovered by the late Southern California digger, Ken Gochenouer.
Q-462 Amethyst $65 Iraí, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil 9.5 x 6.7 x 3 cm As sculptural Amethyst "flower" from Iraí. Although light in coloration, the glassy crystals on this specimen are clear to translucent. This specimen is nearly a floater with only a few small dots of green indicating points of contact on its back.
Q-459 Quartz with Clinozoisite $60 Clinton Keith Road, Murrieta, Riverside County, CA 6.4 x 2.9 x 2.1 cm A Quartz crystal that is heavily coated by crystals of Clinozoisite in groups and as singles. The Quartz is clear and is doubly-terminated, albeit crudely.
Q-484 Amethyst $40 Kingston Peak, Kingston Range, San Bernardino County, CA 5.8 x 4 x 3 cm This specimen is from a location that has been known since the early 1900's when Tiffany & Co. developed this area for Amethyst to use in its jewelry. The location is a formidable place 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 light and dark-colored Amethyst and a final, micro-thin layer of clear Quartz.
Q-174 Quartz with Actinolite inclusions $120 Mega Horio, 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 Actinolite. These crystals are thought to have grown in irregular cavities encompassing the fibrous Actinolite which had formed earlier. These included Quartz specimens were first brought to market in quantity at the 1988 Tucson Mineral Show, being sold as Hedenbergite included Quartz. Since then, only occasional small lots have trickled out into the mineral market afterwards. Demand for these have always been highly sought after due to their rich color. Specimens of these amazing crystals are hard to come by these days.
Q-173 Quartz with Actinolite inclusions $100 Mega Horio, 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 Actinolite. These crystals are thought to have grown in irregular cavities encompassing the fibrous Actinolite which had formed earlier. These included Quartz specimens were first brought to market in quantity at the 1988 Tucson Mineral Show, being sold as Hedenbergite included Quartz. Since then, only occasional small lots have trickled out into the mineral market afterwards. Demand for these have always been highly sought after due to their rich color. Specimens of these amazing crystals are hard to come by these days.
Q-502 botryoidal Amethyst $35 Mamuju Area, Sulawesi Barat Province, Sulawesi, Indonesia 7 x 3.5 x 2.1 cm A specimen of botryoidal Amethyst from the 2016 find in Indonesia. These spheres have a pale purple-lilac color. The spheres on this specimen measure up to 5mm, which is a little larger than average for these specimens. Originally marketed as Agate or Chalcedony, these have been recently shown to be Amethyst. Botryoidal Amethyst is quite rare worldwide.
Q-258 Amethyst $55 Osilo, Sassari Province, Sardinia, Italy 9.5 x 6.5 x 3.9 cm. A vuggy, matrix 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.
Q-406 Quartz with Chlorite inclusions $50 Paulista, Presidente Kubitschek, Minas Gerais, Brazil 6.6 x 4.1 x 3.5 cm. Here we have a Chlorite-included Quartz from Brazil that is better than most. This specimen consists of a very gemmy 6.6 centimeter crystal of Quartz that is included with phantoms of green and silvery-white Chlorite. On the rear of the main Quartz is an explosion of smaller Quartz crystals, some of which are included with Chlorite. This specimen is that it is not chipped (as so many seem to be) nor has it been polished to better view the inclusions.
Q-403 Quartz $40 Purple Hope No. 4 Claim, Green Ridge, King County, WA 7.6 x 3.9 x 3.5 cm. Here we have a gemmy crystal of Quartz from the well-known specimen producing area of King County, Washington. This area is known for its beautiful Pyrite and Quartz specimens. This is a complete crystal with no damage. This locality is notorious for the difficult conditions that must be endured while collecting.
Q-426 Smoky Quartz on Microcline $35 Lolo Pass, Missoula County, MT 5.3 x 4.9 x 3.1 cm. A stout Dauphiné-twinned, 5.3 centimeter Smoky Quartz partially penetrated by a nearly 5 centimeter Smoky Quartz. This crystal has many unique growth lines and patterns on some of the crystal faces. These Smokies from Lolo Pass don't seem to be as abundant as they used to be. Collected in the 1980's by Jim & Dawn Minette.
Q-427 Quartz (scepter crystal) $55 Purple Hope No. 4 Claim, Green Ridge, King County, WA 7.2 x 2.3 x 3 cm. A well-formed and clear scepter-type example of Quartz. This crystal is complete all around with a bifurcated termination. This area is best known for the beautiful Pyrite and Quartz specimens that are found there. This locality is notorious for the difficult conditions that must be endured while collecting.
Q-175 Quartz with Actinolite inclusions $75 Mega Horio, 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 Actinolite. These crystals are thought to have grown in irregular cavities encompassing the fibrous Actinolite which had formed earlier. These included Quartz specimens were first brought to market in quantity at the 1988 Tucson Mineral Show, being sold as Hedenbergite included Quartz. Since then, only occasional small lots have trickled out into the mineral market afterwards. Demand for these have always been highly sought after due to their rich color. Specimens of these amazing crystals are hard to come by these days.
Q-338 Quartz on Smoky Quartz $35 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.
Q-332 Quartz with Chlorite inclusions $40 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.
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.
Q-391 Rose Quartz on Smoky Quartz $175 Paroon Valley, Kunar Province, Afghanistan 6 x 3.1 x 2.5 cm. Rose Quartz, while common, is rarely found as crystals, most of which are found in Brazil. This rare specimen is from the small find made in 2002. No more of these spectacular Rose Quartz crystals from Afghanistan have been found since. Most of the Rose Quartz crystals from this find could be measured in millimeters. This specimen features single crystals up to 1.9 cm. in size, making an already rare specimen even more exceptional. Unlike most crystallized Rose Quartz, the Afghani specimens tend to have a lavender-rose hue which in contrast with the Smoky Quartz makes for a very aesthetic specimen.
Q-151 Quartz with Graphite inclusions $125 Cong Ly, Hunan Province, China 10.3 x 3.6 x 2.5 cm. Here we have a large, incredibly gemmy Quartz crystal with numerous inclusions of Graphite measuring up to 2 cm. in size. It is incredibly difficult to convey in a photograph just how glassy these crystals really are. As far as I am concerned, these are the most interesting Quartz crystals that I have seen come from China. Graphite inclusions in Quartz are very rare, and even more so, in a Quartz crystal that is so glassy and lustrous.
Q-342 Smoky Quartz $75 Talefre Glacier, Mont Blanc Massif, Rhône-Alpes, France 6.5 x 4.6 x 3 cm. Despite the way it looks in the photo, this cluster of fine Smoky Quartz crystals is water-clear. This specimen was a pain to photograph, even the guy I got it from had problems photographing it for his website. This Smoky Quartz looks so much better in person. This beautiful Quartz specimen is essentially a floater, with only a small area of contact on its bottom. The bottom of this specimen features multiple terminations and several smaller Quartz crystals. A fine example of Alpine Quartz for which this location is justifiably famous for.
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