Quartz (unusually ''curved'' crystal)

Item Description

Quartz is certainly among the most abundant mineral species found on the Earth. It is beloved by collectors for the fact that it is found in a wide number of environments occurring in what has to be the most diverse number of styles, varieties and habits of any mineral species. Some of the most treasured, well-known and fine quality examples of Quartz are those from various localities in Arkansas. Mt. Ida is one of the better known places for fine crystals, and this piece is an unusual example featuring a pair of sharp, lustrous, colorless/white hexagonal prisms, free of matrix. What really makes this piece distinctive is that the smaller of the two crystals has a notable "curve", which likely was caused due to tectonic activity in the pocket, forcing the crystal to change directions while it was growing in a semi-malleable state. This same kind of growth can be seen in Tourmaline crystals from various localities. The piece is nearly pristine, but I can see a few tiny imperfections in a couple spots. If you flip the piece over, you can see it's actually re-crystallized ("re-healed") on the back/bottom, so it's nearly crystallized on all sides. It displays beautifully and looks great from several angles. A great example of what are some of the most famous Quartz crystals in the world. This piece comes from the personal collection of Colorado mining legend, Dave Bergman, the maternal grandfather of Brian Kosnar. Dave is now retired from mining, but he worked for decades in various mines underground in Colorado, as a miner, mechanic, engineer, shift boss and foreman. His biggest claim to fame is that he was the foreman and the primary person in charge of mining and specimen recovery at the Sweet Home Mine in Colorado in the 1970s alongside his son-in-law, Rich Kosnar. This project what was the FIRST ever operation for specimen recovery at this historic locality. A full-page photograph of Dave can be seen mining underground at the Sweet Home in on page 58 of Peter Bancroft's book "Gem and Crystal Treasures".