Smoky Quartz ('Gwindel') (classic material)

Item Description

Swiss Quartz is among the finest quality examples of the species in the world. This piece is a wonderful old time / historic specimen of excellent quality Smoky Quartz in the classic "Gwindel" (German word for "twist") habit from the Swiss Alps. Val Giuv (formerly Val Giuf) is one of the most well-known Swiss locales for fine Quartz specimens, and this piece is a great example of this famous material as it is incredibly lustrous, smooth and WATER CLEAR when backlit. The color is a rich smoky hue in reflected light, but when the piece is backlit, it shows a gorgeous golden tone. The fact that it is so transparent really helps the color glow inside. The piece shows a slight "twist", when viewed from above. A few additional Smoky Quartz crystals near the base allow the piece to actually sit up on its own without the aid of a base or clay. Now the piece is not damage free, it does have some contacts along with a bit of included / embedded "Chlorite" and Albite, but the supreme internal gemminess and beautiful color make up for it in my mind. A wonderful specimen that is accompanied by a 3x5 index card typed label from Willard Wulff (specimen #262) along with his old wooden display label. Wulff erroneously labeled the piece as coming from Val "Ginf". The piece was purchased approximately 50-60 years ago (circa 1960s-1970s) from Schortmann's minerals for $7.50!! I would value the piece between $600-$800 retail.