Spherical Amethyst (''Grapes'') included with Celadonite

Item Description

Quartz might be the most well-known mineral species on Earth. It is certainly one of, if not THE most diverse minerals out there. Quartz has been found in an impressively large number of crystal habits/forms and a wide range of colors. This piece is from the Mamuju area in Indonesia, and although they have been coming out for several years at this point, they are still some of the most unique and interesting specimens of Quartz to hit the market. These pieces had a wide range of labels 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, so they are not massive or cryptocrystalline in their form. 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 5 mm with colors ranging from a vibrant hue to a bit of rich silvery-green color due to Celadonite inclusions. The piece is crystallized 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 in a large cabinet sized display specimen.