2.2" Amethyst Crystal Cluster with Spotted Phantoms - China

This is a beautiful, 2.2" wide amethyst crystal cluster that features spotted phantoms within, likely a result of epidote or hematite inclusions. It comes from the Hongxizhen unnamed mining area in the Sichuan Province of China. The base of this specimen has been cut flat for presentation.

Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz (SiO2) that owes its violet color to natural gamma irradiation, iron impurities, and the presence of trace elements, which result in complex crystal lattice substitutions. It is considered a semi-precious gemstone, and just two centuries ago was considered to have a value on par with diamonds, sapphires, and rubies. The largest and best known amethyst deposits occur in southern Brazil and Uruguay, where they are found in hydrothermally-formed geodes, but many localities around the world produce an amazing variety of amethyst crystals and formations. They are almost always formed in medium- to high-temperature geological settings.


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DETAILS
SPECIES
Quartz var. Amethyst
LOCATION
Hongxizhen Unnamed Mining Area, Meigu County, Liangshan Yi, Sichuan, China
SIZE
2.2" wide
ITEM
#214651