Natural Lwena Hematoid Rutilated Asylum Quartz Cluster - 65mm, 121g

Locality - Lwena, Congo
Size – 65 x 55 x 45mm
Weight – 121g

This asylum quartz cluster displays beautiful botryoidal crimson red hematoid phantoms, shiny copper rutile needles, mossy green chlorite and a small but radiant rainbow reflective veil (as photographed) suspended within its clear tips. It has an attractive formation with boldly protruding, sharply terminated points and a flat base on which to rest. There are a few dings on the crystal points, but these do not detract from its overall elegance.

These unique asylum quartz specimens are an exciting new discovery from Lwena Mine in Congo, the same mine that produces some of the worlds finest genuine citrine. They boast exceptional inclusions varying from red hematite phantoms to mossy green chlorite clouds and shiny copper rutile needles, exhibiting an array of visual aesthetics and vivid colours, and are truly natural works of art.

Quartz is the most common mineral found on the surface of the Earth, occurring in virtually every locality. Pure crystals are colourless, transparent and hard, though many are coloured by natural processes such as irradiation or by the presence of certain elements within them. These coloured varieties include the popular gemstones amethyst, purple quartz, and citrine, yellow quartz. Some quartz crystals have unique inclusions of minerals that have grown within them, such as golden rutile, tourmaline or chlorite, and others may show silvery reflective internal veils and bright rainbows. Whilst the majority of quartz is created from molten magma that has cooled and crystallized, much quartz also chemically precipitates from hot hydrothermal veins. Well-formed crystals deep within the Earth can reach colossal sizes, with some measuring several meters in length and weighing hundreds of kilograms.