Ajoite in Quartz

Item Description

Messina is home to a famous, instantly recognizable occurrence of unique and beautiful Quartz specimens in which the Quartz crystals are included with bright blue Ajoite. Specimens can vary, and most are pale but this delightful, small-cabinet piece is rich in Ajoite inclusions (a very uncommon copper-containing silicate that is very rare from other localities and seldom this concentrated). What makes this fine, small-cabinet piece rather singular is that it is a cluster of Quartz crystals, all exhibiting lovely turquoise clouds of Ajoite. In a few places there is even a 1 mm-thick dusting of a charcoal gray mineral (graphite, perhaps?) that adds interest and contrast. There were several small finds around the mid to late 1980's and, as you can imagine, quality Ajoite-in-Quartz specimens of this style are seldom available and highly sought-after.