Microcline var: Amazonite (rare locality specimen)

Item Description

The pegmatites around Conway, New Hampshire have produced some attractive, yet seldom seen examples of Amazonite over the years. I've seen pieces that compare quite favorably to the crystals from the Pikes Peak Batholith of Colorado in terms of color and crystallization. This piece is a good representative example featuring a 1.7 cm, light blue-green colored, sharp, well-formed crystal of Amazonite sitting atop a matrix of beige colored Microcline. It has been reported that minor lead content is responsible for the blue-green color in Amazonite, though some newer research suggest that iron may play a role in the color as well. With that said, whatever chromophore was present in this specimen was really only limited to the main crystal, as the underlying Microcline has no green color to it. Minor Smoky Quartz can be seen on the matrix for a nice touch. A good representative example of this elusive material from northeastern New Hampshire.
Ex Gerry Morvell collection (#GM 1036A).