Quartz (var: Citrine) ("Bitermine") (ex Paul Zerfass Collection)

Item Description

It should be noted that the locality of Corinto is somewhat of a misnomer as there is no actual mining that takes place there, but it's a hub for the miners to bring their specimens for sale. There are localities nearby, but since this piece came labeled as Corinto, Minas Gerais, Brazil, we're going to leave it that way as we don't know specifically where it was mined. This specimen also came labeled as "bitermine", which to the best of my research is a French term that is used in reference to WATER CLEAR fine qualtiy / perfect crystals of Quartz. I've seen it used with Quartz crystal pendants as well, which are also WATER CLEAR, but cut and and polished into perfect hexagonal crystals. This piece is not only superb quality with razor sharp faces, incredible transparency and high luster, but it's actually a NATURALLY occuring Citrine crystal. This isn't an Amethyst that was heated to create a yellow color, this is genuine Citrine from a locality that is known to produce such specimen. I can't find any damage with the naked eye, and it's such a fine textbook quality Quartz crystal. The added Feldspar along the side is a nice touch, giving the piece some character and not just a single crystal. Outstanding quality and very eye-catching in person, so don't let the photos fool you, it's better when you hold it in your hands. From the collection of the long time, beloved, well-known French field collector, Paul Zerfass (Collection #134). Zerfass built this worldwide collection over nearly 50 years, many of which were personally collected. A biography featuring specimens from his collection (along with his face on the cover) is in the May - June 2017 issue of French mineral magazine, Le Regne Mineral. We have a .pdf copy of the article for anybody interested in reading it (though it's mostly in French). Just drop us a line and know that you'd like to have a copy.