Quartz included with Siderophyllite ("Tanzurine")

Item Description

For only a couple years, we've seen this material on the market, and originally there were all sorts of claims to its composition. In order to better market the material it was given the trade name "Tanzurine" in the metaphysical world, but it has no relavance to actual mineralogy. It should be noted that there are both red and green specimens on the market which both carry the name "Tanzurine", but they do not seem to contain the same minerals. At the Tucson Show this year, a friend of ours was offering analyzed specimens of the red material and tells us that it is massive Quartz containing inclusions of Siderophyllite which is a rare Mica species. Since Siderophyllite is typically black or greenish-black, I have to believe there is either some manganese content or other chromophore to create the intense color. This piece is a massive specimen of Quartz with a strong amount of the inclusions creating what I can best describe the color as a raspberry hue when backlit. It's certainly unusual material to be sure, and worth picking up if you collect Quartz or Quartz specimens with inclusions. From a find in 2017 near the village of Malambo, about 10 miles west of Lake Natron which coincidentally is known for its red color (caused by microorganisms).