3.2 Black Tourmaline (Schorl) & Smoky Quartz Crystals - Namibia

Here is a phenomenal association of black tourmaline (schorl) crystal sprays and long smoky quartz crystals, collected from the Erongo Mountains in Namibia. This cluster is in excellent condition and would make a great addition to any mineral collection.

Tourmaline is a crystalline boron silicate mineral compounded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. Schorl, or black tourmaline, is the most common form of tourmaline, and has been used for everything from jewelry to piezoelectric guitar pickups.

Quartz is the name given to silicon dioxide (SiO2) and is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust. Quartz crystals generally grow in silica-rich environments--usually igneous rocks or hydrothermal environments like geothermal waters--at temperatures between 100°C and 450°C, and usually under very high pressure. In either case, crystals will precipitate as temperatures cool, just as ice gradually forms when water freezes. Quartz veins are formed when open fissures are filled with hot water during the closing stages of mountain formation: these veins can be hundreds of millions of years old.

Smoky quartz is a grey-brown to black variety of quartz. This common name is derived from the appearance of smoke within the quartz crystal. Depending on the location and the chemicals present during formation, smoky quartz can appear opaque black, but it is typically translucent to some extent. It is believed that the quartz gains this color from a combination of natural irradiation and aluminum impurities.
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DETAILS
SPECIES
Tourmaline var. Schorl & Smoky Quartz
LOCATION
Erongo Mountains, Namibia
SIZE
3.2" wide
CATEGORY
ITEM
#100374