"Mango" Quartz with Halloysite inclusions

Item Description

Rich yellow-orange color on the terminations of this sculptural and impressive 360-degree small cabinet matrix "mango" quartz specimen from recent finds at Cabiche. The yellow-orange hue is more intense than most of the pieces from the finds and adds attractiveness above the water-clear quartz bodies. The stout crystal, with multiple terminations, is 8.7 cm tall and the large edge crystal is 6.7 cm tall. The striking spray adds to the overall fine aesthetics of the piece. All of the major crystals are pristine and the noted periphery wear to smaller crystals is certainly only a modest detraction. The distinctive orange-color color of the inclusions in the terminations above the water-clear bases has nicknamed these striking, colorful quartz crystals as "Mango Quartz". Initial analyses indicated the included yellow material was Humboldtine, a rare authigenic organic mineral, but further testing suggested the material is Halloysite, a clay mineral. These first hit the market in 2017 and were a big hit at shows. See the 2019 Rock & Minerals article in Vol.94, No. 3. A very aesthetic and sculptural small cabinet example of this fascinating and colorful Colombia quartz.