Spherical Amethyst (''Grapes'')

Item Description

I think a strong case can be made that Quartz is most diverse mineral species in the world. It is not only found in countless crystal habits/forms from thousands of localities, but it also occurs in a wide range of colors. This cabinet comes to us from the Mamuju area in Indonesia, and they are some of the most distinctive and interesting specimens of Quartz to hit the market. These pieces were labeled with various name varying from "Chalcedony" to "Agate" to Quartz and Amethyst when they first came out. I'm sure you've seen people selling them as either "Grape Agate" or "Grape Chalcedony" due to the purple color and the fact that they have formed in groups that look like bunches of grapes. Frankly, there could easily be 100 terms to describe cryptocrystalline / drusy / massive uncrystallized Quartz, so you see a lot of names for this kind of material when a new discovery is made. It should be noted that analysis by Dr. George Rossman at Caltech concluded these should be labeled as AMETHYST, and not Chalcedony or Agate, as there is micro crystallization on the surface. We were able to pick up some pieces direct from the source, and we're happy to have specimens to place in the auctions for all you Quartz collectors out there. It should be noted that with a lot of new discoveries, it’s hard to say how much more will be available, and in what quality. Often the best material tends to find its way to the market first, and is typically the least expensive. This piece is filled with beautiful botryoidal, translucent "balls" or oblong shaped spheroids measuring to about 4 mm with colors ranging from an almost chalky lilac hue to a very pleasing darker purple color. There is a even a bit of green Celadonite inclusions in a few spots to create even more color contrast. The piece is well-formed all around and looks good from several angles. Great shape overall, and a wonderful opportunity to pick up a piece of this exciting and unique material.