Quartz (var: Jacinto de Compostela Quartz) (ex David Burgess Collection)

Item Description

Jacinto de Compostela Quartz specimens from Chella, Spain are some of the most eye-catching and alluring red Quartz specimens on the market. These specimens get their name from Santiago de Compostela, but they're not actually found there. For many years it was believed that the strong red color was caused by iron content (Hematite), but recent research has shown that these specimens actually get their color from the inclusions of clay minerals. With that said, these specimens are often found as 'floaters' in multi-crystal groups which weather out of marls. This toenail sized specimen is nearly a complete 'floater' that is virtually crystallized all the way around and is filled with very sharp, lustrous, well-formed, rich brick red colored hexagonal crystals (showing a predominant pyramidal habit with little prism faces) on all sides. There is a small contact on the back that keeps it from being completely damage free, but the front side is in great shape and looks beautiful in person. If you collect Quartz specimens, don't miss out on this one, as they are rarely available on the market these days. From the worldwide collection of David Burgess (1951-2016). David was a prolific species collector from Newington, Connecticut, and the namesake for the extremely rare cobalt arsenate species Burgessite, which he discovered.