Orange River Amethyst Quartz Cluster Natural Specimen - 59mm, 111g

Locality - Orange River, South Africa
Size – 59 x 52 x 38mm
Weight – 111g

This natural Orange River quart cluster features excellent formation displaying large, boldly terminated points with frosted, lavender purple amethyst phantoms within. The crystal faces are highly lustrous and the base of the specimen is a sturdy matrix, and there is slight tangerine orange hematoid staining in some areas. Quartz crystals from the Orange River region are highly regarded and sought after, and amethyst specimens such as this are rare from the region.

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.