• A red quartz point with glittering druzy patches on its surface, perched atop an irregular mass or colorless and red quartz.
  • The quartz point tilted to reflect light, showing where the surface isn't shirt it is inverted and coated in a fine druzy. There is a crust of druzy on top of the point's surface near the tip.
  • The base of the point, terminating in two large symmetrical faces on the slanted base, with beveled edges.
  • The piece held with the point upward , with druzy glittering in the sun. The broken portions contrast in white.
  • The specimen in sunlight, illustrating the material is fairly dark and opaque, though with good luster and color. Small spherical lumps of druzy cover surface nearby.
  • The specimen tilted in sunlight to show it has some translucency, as the core appears to glow with light reflecting through it. A smaller point near the base points straight forward.
  • Close view of the specimen with the quartz point pointed up, and the surface texture visible. It is partially covered with druzy, an part clear with a red matte layer within.
  • Side-view of the specimen, with a poor surface luster of the red quartz interruped by glittering druzy. Near the base, there is a well-formed small point with phantom coloring
  • Detail of the base of the quartz point, with a red druzy layer partially covered with a raised colorless layer with poor luster.
  • Detail of the base of the quartz point at an angle, with light reflecting off the surface. It has muted luster, with an almost rippled surface. The druzy has good glitter.
  • The underside of the specimen, a rough white semi-opaque quartz aggregate.
  • Detail of broken quartz crystal ends on the piece, showing good hexagonal growth and with one producing a rainbow in the fractured end.
  • The specimen in a mineral cabinet, illustrating its relatively small scale and saturated brick red color.
  • The specimen on a measuring mat, measuring about two and a half by over two inches.
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Ferruginous quartz cluster

Ferruginous quartz cluster

$40.00 USD
$40.00 USD
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Locale: Morocco

Approx dimensions: 2.5 x 2 x 1", longest crystal 5.5 cm

Approx weight: 88g

 

Known as red or ferruginous (iron-bearing) quartz, this unusual variety of quartz gets its color from iron oxides, typically hematite. The quartz in this specimen initially grew colorless; broken crystals along the edge reveal the quartz crystals have a clear core bordered by a thin top layer of almost chocolatey brick-red quartz. A change occurred during the growth process that introduced fine iron oxide inclusions that give the top layer deep color.

Ferruginous quartz is typically fairly opaque due to the density of iron oxide inclusions. This piece is quite dark but the main crystal has some translucency with backlighting. The surface texture on the main point is an intriguing patchwork of red druzy on and intergrowing with a translucent surface layer. There are black spheres of hematite spotting the point, trapped in the quartz.

The main quartz point is double terminated with unusual termination at the base (shown in picture 3). Two main faces meet at a junction down the center of the point, and the other faces are very small. A clean smaller 'sidekick' red quartz point grows near the base. The pair are atop a broken mishmash of quartz and red druzy.

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