Quartz with ''Mariposite'' (Chromium-bearing Phengite/Muscovite) inclusions

Item Description

A rarely seen specimen from the Sierra Nevada foothills above the northeastern Sacramento Valley featuring prismatic white/colorless Quartz crystals which feature "phantom"-esque inclusions of soft greenish-blue colored "Mariposite" which is defined as a chromium-bearing Mica (Muscovite/Phengite according to the entry on mindat.org). I'm sure Quartz enthusiasts can see there is a similarity between this piece and famous Ajoite included Quartz specimens from the Messina Mine in South Africa. The color in Ajoite is due to copper content, but the effect is the still similar. The piece is in decent condition, but I have to point out that there are contacts on the terminations of the crystals, so it's not pristine, but it's a distinctive and beautiful piece that you're not likely to find anywhere else.
Ex George Loud Collection No. 435 CA.80. George (born August 16, 1942) is a well-known mineral collector from Washington, DC and South Carolina respectively, and was a patent lawyer by trade for over 50 years. He assembled one of the great mineral collections in the U.S., comprising worldwide specimens, and in later years he sold the worldwide specimens to focus on minerals of the United States, specifically locality suites with an emphasis on amazing representation of species while still maintaining fine quality. The specimens remarkably range from micros to all the way up to large cabinets in size. We recently acquired most of his impressive 9000+ piece collection, and the VAST majority of these pieces will be offered here in the auctions, as we feel that everyone deserves and equal opportunity at acquiring these important, well-documented and fine quality specimens for their collections.
See: https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/george-loud for more information