Quartz (scepter crystals)

Item Description

The various mines at the Huanggang deposit have become prolific producers of fine quality crystallized specimens since the mid 2000s. Some of the most distinctive minerals in all of China have come out of this area. In recent years, we've seen some fantastic Quartz specimens, with beautiful crystal habits like this one. This beautiful cabinet display specimen hosts a "jackstraw"-esque group of sharp, lustrous, scepter habit (and simple prisms) Quartz crystals with small "stepped" overgrowths on some of the prism faces. Overall, the piece is in superb condition, as I cannot find any major damage, and it's nearly a complete "floater" as it's crystallized on the underside as well. Even the contacted crystals are re-crystallized ("re-healed"), so there is only one true point of contact on the base. Several of the Quartz crystals are doubly-terminated to boot! You rarely see such three-dimensional examples of this gorgeous material. Priced at $3,500 in the inventory. Ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection. Along with amassing one of the finest private mineral collections in the world, Steve is a renowned mathematician. His accomplishments include being awarded the Fields Medal in 1966 along with being the awarded the Wolf Prize in mathematics in 2007. You can read Steve's bio on the Mineralogical Record website ( https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/smalestephen/ ) or on Wikipedia.