Smoky Quartz (Gwindel) on Quartz

Item Description

Quartz from the high alpine deposits of the world has a special clarity and sparkle to it, and sometimes also a special shape. This is a classic twisted quartz (known as a "gwindel") from the classic Russian alpine locality which had its heyday around the 1980s. Along with the Swiss Alps and a few mountains in France, this locale has produced the most famous gwindel quartzes around, known for their bright gemminess and their dramatic twisting style. The twisted quartz here is slightly smoky, contrasting appealingly to the matrix it sits on of normal, upright quartz crystals which are more white in color. This piece has a pronounced twist of, at a guess, 15 to 20 degrees from the vertical as the gem-clear smoky quartz cluster rises up from the matrix of quartz on which it sits. It is one of the more dramatic examples in this size range that we have seen, in fact, for both the degree of twist and the perch on matrix. The gwindel is nearly pristine (I see only one trivial ding when looking closely), complete all around and good from both sides. This specimen was purchased in Russia by the van Scrivers (Brad and Star) and traded by them to Richard Kosnar in the early 1990s, for his well-known but secretive Alpine collection. This now comes directly from the Kosnar family. Joe Budd photos. It was valued in the Kosnar collection at $8500 after Richard passed away. This specimen comes with a custom and engraved lucite display base ($250 value) already made.

This specimen is donated by ARKENSTONE & BRIAN KOSNAR. This specimen is part of the 2023 Dallas Mineral Collecting Symposium benefit auction, with proceeds benefiting Mineralogical Record, Rocks & Minerals, Tucson Gem and Mineral Society, and mindat.org. Thanks to all of our participants!

Billing for this auction will occur on Monday, August 21st, for payment using PayPal or a credit card. Shipping will be billed at cost.