Quartz var: Amethyst (unusual rare locality specimen - 1960s)

Item Description

The Peregrina Mine in Guanajuato, Mexico is a lesser-known specimen producer, typically yielding Calcites, but a handful of attractive Amethysts have come out over the years. This particular specimen dates back to the 1960s era of mining, and is certainly distinctive and unusual. This full sized cabinet specimen is filled with sharp, lustrous hexagonal prisms of Quartz / Amethyst measuring up to 1.5 cm, which have a slight dusting of bright metallic golden Pyrite on a thin layer of matrix. You can see the Quartz crystals have an interesting almost "banded" or "striped" zoning which alternates between soft silvery-white to gentle purple Amethyst. Virtually all of the crystals are pristine, but there are some contacted spots around the periphery where the piece was removed from the pocket wall. If you collect Amethyst / Quartz, Mexican minerals or you just like unusual / unique locality specimens, this is something that you're not likely to find anywhere else on the market. The fact that it's ~60 years old, combined with the intriguing appearance makes it's a very desirable and distinctive display piece. It's difficult to put a fair market value on a piece like this, but I could easily see it in the $1,000 range for what it is.