Schorl in Quartz

Item Description

Schorl is an Fe/Mg rich member of the Tourmaline Group, and is known for its jet-black color and usually high luster. This substantial, cabinet-sized piece of Schorl in Quartz is from somewhere in Lesotho, and it features a doubly-terminated, 7 cm Schorl. The upper termination is complex and complete, while the lower is partially contacted. The luster and color are both good, and there is even a very unexpected and subtle cinnamon fire near the upper termination when the the light hits the crystal just right. Equally unexpected is what seems like a small bend in the crystal. Whether there really is a bend hidden by the Quartz, or an optical illusion, I am not sure, but it is provocative. Other Schorls have been sheared off, not surprising as we know that pegmatite mining can be grueling and difficult. Considering that the very fine fractures in the upper portion show just how stressed the crystal was, it is remarkable that this large Schorl survived. This is an interesting and appealing specimen with several unusual characteristics from a highly unusual origin location (sorry, we do not have more details than his country code). From the collection of Kurt Hefendehl, a well-known German collector all over Europe with worldwide contacts to dealers and collectors. He started collecting seriously at the age of 14 and his great and varied worldwide collection reached over 6000 pieces.