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Quartz cast after Anhydrite
- Ouray, San Juan Mountains, Ouray County, Colorado
- Small Cabinet, 8.1 x 3.6 x 3.0 cm
- Start Time: 02/26/2015 6:45:00 pm (CST)
- End Time: 03/05/2015 6:45:00 pm (CST)
- Auction Closed
Item Description
These specimens have been labeled as being Quartz after Barite, but given the fact that Barite is chemically inert and nearly impossible to dissolve, it is most likely that these pseudomorphs or "casts" are actually Quartz replacing Anhydrite. It has been reported that Dr. Virgil Lueth or New Mexico Tech concludes from studies (as-yet unpublished paper 4/2011) that these and all San Juan Quartz epimorphs apparently after Barite are in fact after Anhydrite. With that said, this specimen is a beautiful cast consisting of a hollow and blocky cavity of Quartz replacing the original mineral. The most attractive aspect of this specimen is the fact that the Quartz crystals are not microscopic or massive, but many of them are easily visible with the naked eye. A wonderful specimen from a district that produced some of the most classic "casts" from all of Colorado.