Mindat Mineralogy Messageboard - Best Minerals - Quartz

Quartz, Oregon to Wyoming (3 replies)

Rock Currier — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:52:46 +0000


Phantom quartz, ~13cm wide	©

Oregon has produced many fine quartz specimens and the one here is nice but better have been found. Hopefully someone will upload some better pictures for us to include here.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Oregon, Deschutes Co.


Quartz v. petrified wood, 18.5cm wide	© Danny Jones

Quartz
USA
Oregon, Grant Co.


Quartz v. agate limb cast, 11cm wide	© Danny Jones

Quartz
USA
Oregon, Jefferson Co., Madras, Richardson Ranch (Priday Ranch)


Agate "thunderegg", ~8cm?	© Don Volkman 2/24/08


Agate "thunderegg", 3.5cm	© Don Volkman 2/24/08


Agate thunderegg (Priday plume), 7.5cm	© Don Volkman 2/24/08

The Richardson Ranch is famous among old rockhounds for its agate nodules that are called thunder eggs as well as other types of agate. Thunder eggs can still be collected today. Some few of them show plume agate inside of them and are highly prised by agate collectors.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Oregon, Lane Co., Blue River District


Quartz, 5cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Oregon, Lane Co., Fall Creek District, Fall Creek Reservoir


Quartz 10cm tall	©


Quartz 10cm tall	©


Quartz geode 15cm wide	©


Quartz 10cm wide	©


Quartz var. chalcedony (petrified wood) 17x12cm	©

The fall Creek district is centered aroung a small 6 mile long flood control resivoir called the Fall Creek Resovoir. The surface collecting that is available is well known to locals. The yearly draw down lf the lake hammers away at the hill sides and exposes a wide variety of old rotten bassalt, andesite, and ryholite as well as various volcanic ash deposits. These flows criss cross each other and are extinct from volcanos when roughly 25 million years ago the wester cascades were much higher in elevation and active. This reservoir along with Lookout point reservoir in the adjacent river valley provide some amazing hiking and mineral collecting opportunities. With close to 200 ft of hillside exposed during drawdown you are able to see entire volcanic flows that would be otherwise covered by forests. Collecting mainly consists of quartz family due to the fact that when the lake is full the lake water has started to disolve many of the zeolite minerals that are present but altered by the lake water when it is full. As with much of the western cascade range the active volcanics are now on the east side of the range leaving the older west side heavily weathered and exposed. There are numerous exposed petrified logs some measuring 6 ft in diameter crossing the basin in which Fall creek has cut across welded ash flows at the bottom of the resivoir. Ancient lahars and ash flows are evident in many exposed hillsides when the lake is drawn down for flood control during the winter months. Many of the deposits that are found in the resivoir extend above the high water line and in some areas the agate and jasper that is present at the surface makes up 80% of the rock found up near the ridges where they formed and is concealed well under the dense forest and fern growth. After logging operations is when collecting is prolific and most if the material is collected with in 2 feet of the surface. However most of the specimens must be carried out in a backpack or during hunting season you can drive to the locations. Overall most of the deposits are minimaly worked due to being concealed by the dense forests that Oregon is known for. This is in stark contrast to eastern oregon which is very arid and open.Collecting there is much easier and collecting sites are well known and often dug heavily.

Oregon is prolific in amorphous quartz and sparse in well developed crystaline varieties. Granite is uncommon in oregon so most of the quartz formations are relativly low temprature and short lived comared to a pegmatite or vug. One thing of interest is that many of the enviornments in this part of Oregon, in which cryptocrystaline quartz will form involve a mix of organic matter and fossils. This is a main factor in the abundant and exceptional petrified wood that comes from this area. It is mainly silicified by a very clear blue grey agate. This only shows in cracks in the wood but it makes for excellent cell preservation in the wood tissue. The wood when petrified often looks exactly as it did when it was alive or ont the ground the forest.
[Ariel Duplant 2010]

Quartz
USA
Oregon, Linn Co.


Quartz v. agate, 10cm wide	© Russell G. Rizzo


Quartz v. carnelian agate, 16cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Oregon, Linn Co. Chandler Mountain


Quartz var. chalcedony 12cm wide	©


Quartz var. chalcedony (carnelian) 9cm wide	©


Quartz var. chalcedony (carnelian) 10cm wide	©


Quartz var. chalcedony (carnelian) 12cm tall	©


Quartz var. chalcedony (carnelian) 15cm tall	©


Quartz var. chalcedony (carnelian) 12cm wide wide	©

Chandler Mountain lies just south of Sweehome, OR and is centered amongst the nations second largest petrified wood deposit next to Northern Arizona. The Hollywood ranch lies at the base of the Mtn. made famous by a visit by Kristen gum and her Travel Channel show "Cash & Treasures". The petrified wood at the base of the Mtn. is everywhere. At the top of the relatively flat top mtn. is an enormous agate deposit. At the center of this deposit is the carnelian beds. Most of the large pieces that I have self collected from that location are among the best found in the entire country. This area has been dug heavily from the 60"s thru the 80"s. It died down a bit in the 90"s but I have been up there the past 8 years or so and It still produces beautiful large carnelian specimens. This is one of the largest and prolific producers of carnelian agate ever within the US. It is currently closed access on private timber land. You have to hike in 2.5 miles uphill to get to it. Nobody really goes up there any more due to access restrictions. It used to be open to rock clubs and whoever back in the 80’s but ever since Weyerhaeuser bought up most of the timberland in the area they are not friendly to rock and mineral collectors. I will continue to upload some of the better pieces that I have found. This is a special agate because unlike MOST of the carnelian from Brazil and India is heat treated or dyed, Chandler mtn. carnelian is completely natural with its bright coloration. There is a rich red iron clay deposit overlying the center of the agate beds which extend along the northern ridge of Chandler mtn. The deposits down hill from this area get their color from this. If you go along the ridge in any other direction the agate becomes clear. It is of important note that this is a banded agate and often forms in botryodial pockets with tube and stalactite formations very common. These can be covered in druze quartz or smooth botryodial surfaces.
[Ariel Duplant 2010]

Quartz
USA
Oregon, Malheur Co., Graveyard Point


Quartz v. petrified wood, 4.5cm	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. petrified wood, 20cm wide	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. agate, 5.5cm	© Don Volkman 2/24/08

This locality is well known for a particular type of agate and we don't even have a picture of it here to show you. Please someone upload so good pictures of it.

Quartz
USA
Oregon, Morrow Co., Opal Butte


Quartz v. fire opal, 3cm wide	© 2006 Peter Cristofono


Quartz v. opal, 4.8cm wide	© JSS


Quartz v. fire opal, 13cm tall	© Sarah Sudcowsky

The fire opal from this locality gets much better than the examples we currently have to show you. Some of the best ones can be seen in the Rice museum in Hillsbrough, Oregon. A lot of the opal found here is quite clear with not very intense fire, or at least as not as intense as some of the better specimens from Virgin Valley, Nevada or some of the Australian localities.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Oregon, Sherman Co., Biggs


Quartz v. Biggs jasper, 15cm wide	© Crater Rock Museum

Jasper from this locality can be very attractive and there are several localities that produced this material. Many of them have been worked quite hard, and to dig good material today would require a lot of work.

Quartz
USA
Pennsylvania, Allegheny Co., Pittsburgh


Quartz, ~3cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Pennsylvania, Delaware Co.


Quartz v. amethyst, 6.5cm tall	© Joseph Polityka


Quartz, amethyst 4cm wide	© 2002 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Pennsylvania, Berks Co., Kirbyville


Quartz xl, 6.8cm long	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Pennsylvania, Chester Co., Pocopson Township, Pocopson Township


Quartz v. amethyst, 2.5cm wide	© M.Heintzelman

Quartz
USA
Pennsylvania, Delaware Co., Chester Township, Chester


Quartz v. amethyst, ~9cm wide	© J.N.Wingard


Quartz v. amethyst, ~8cm wide	© J.N.Wingard

Quartz
USA
Pennsylvania, Delaware Co., Chester Township, Shaw and Esrey's Quarry


Quartz v. amethyst, 9.2cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz/amethyst scepter, 5.8cm	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Pennsylvania, Delaware Co., Upper Providence Township, Media


Quartz v. amethyst, 8cm wide	© M.Heintzelman

Quartz
USA
Pennsylvania, Delaware Co., Upper Providence Township, Media, Blue Hill


Quartz, 3.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 6.7cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

This is an old locality that has produced few if any specimens during the last 50 years. You sometimes see them in old eastern collection and the specimens are never large. I suspect that they were never very abundant.

Quartz
USA
Pennsylvania, Montgomery Co., Upper Merion Township, Henderson Station


Quartz, 4.5cm wide	© M.Heintzelman

Quartz
USA
Pennsylvania, Montgomery Co., Upper Providence Township, Collegeville


Quartz v. amethyst, 7cm wide	© M.Heintzelman


Quartz v. amethyst, 8.5cm long	© M.Heintzelman

Quartz
USA
Rhode Island


Quartz after? ~7cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Rhode Island, Providence Co., Burrillville, Oakland, State Route 102 road cut


Quartz v. amethyst, 3.8cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Rhode Island, Providence Co., Lincoln, Lime Rock, Dexter Quarry (Dexter Lime Quarry)


Quartz xls, 12cm wide	© Michael W. Kieron

Quartz
USA
Rhode Island, Providence Co., Cumberland, Diamond Hill


Quartz after Barite? 9cm tall	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Rhode Island, Providence Co., Pawtucket


Quartz xl on Fluorite, 7.5cm wide	© 2008 Peter Cristofono

Quartz
USA
Rhode Island, Washington Co., Hopkinton


Quartz v. amethyst scepter, 4.1cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst scepter, 4cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Rhode Island, Washington Co., Hopkinton, Ashaway Village


Quartz v. amethyst scepter, 5.3cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst scepter, 3cm tall	© Russell G. Rizzo


Quartz v. amethyst, 7.5cm long	© 2008 J. Zolan


Quartz v. amethyst scepter, 4.2cm	© Henry Minot 2009


Quartz, 11cm tall	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz/amethyst, 15cm wide	© 2000 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
South Carolina, Abbeville Co., Antreville, Diamond Hill Quartz Mine


Quartz, 11cm wide	© 2007 Steve Bonney


Quartz, 8.5cm wide	© 2007 Steve Bonney


Quartz, 9cm wide	© 2007 Steve Bonney


Quartz, 6cm wide	© 2007 Steve Bonney


Quartz v. amethyst, 6cm wide	© Russell G. Rizzo


Quartz v. amethyst, 5cm wide	© Russell G. Rizzo

Quartz
USA
South Carolina, Abbeville Co., Due West, Ellis-Jones Mine


Quartz v. amethyst 11.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 11cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 10.6cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 6cm wide	© 2002 John H. Betts


Quartz v. amethyst, 18cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 11.6cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Smoky Quartz, 8cm	© Dan & Diana Weinrich Minerals


Quartz v. amethyst 8.3cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
South Carolina, Anderson Co., Iva


Quartz v. amethyst, 7cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
South Dakota, Custer Co., Teepee Canyon


Quartz v. agate, 5cm wide	© Stephen E. Fritz

Quartz
USA
South Dakota, Lawrence Co., Lead District, Homestake Mine


Quartz scepter, 16.9cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 5.6cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

The Homestake mine was a longtime gold mine that was never much know for producing any mineral specimens, but you can see that it did produce some.

Quartz
USA
Texas, Brewster Co., Terlingua Creek


Quartz v. petrified wood, 9.5cm wide	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. petrified wood, 6.7cm wide	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. petrified wood, 13cm wide	© Danny Jones

Quartz
USA
Texas, Brewster Co., Alpine, Woodward Ranch


Quartz v. "pumpkin ball", 11cm wide	© Bruce T. Mitchell


Quartz v. "pumpkin ball", 10cm wide	© Bruce T. Mitchell


Quartz v. pumpkin ball, 5cm wide	© Bruce T. Mitchell


Chalcedony after calcite, 5.5cm	© Bruce T. Mitchell


Chalcedony after calcite, 3.5cm	© Bruce T. Mitchell

The Woodward Ranch is famous for its fine plume agates. I hope someone will upload some pictures of good examples so we can show them to you here.

Quartz
USA
Texas, Llano Co.


Quartz ~4cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Texas, Reeves Co.


Quartz after calcite, ~5cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Utah, Beaver Co., Tushar Mts


Quartz, smoky/amethyst 3.5cm tall	© Chris Tucker


Quartz, smoky/amethyst, 3cm tall	© Chris Tucker


Quartz, 4cm tall	© Chris Tucker

Quartz
USA
Utah, Beaver Co., Wah Wah Mts


Quartz, 9.3cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 4.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Utah, Garfield Co., Circle Cliffs, Lone B Mine


Quartz v. petrified wood, 20cm??	© R. Barney

Quartz
USA
Utah, Grand Co., Cisco


Quartz v. chalcedony, 17cm wide	© R. Barney

Quartz
USA
Utah, Grand Co., Moab


Quartz after barite, 2.8cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Utah, Tooele Co., Dugway Range, Dugway Mountains District


Quartz geode, 8.2cm	© Russell G. Rizzo


Quartz, drawing of a micro specimen	© Saul Krotki 2005


Quartz, 2.5cm wide	© Danny Jones

Quartz
USA
Utah, Juab Co., East Tintic Mts, Tintic District, Shoebridge Mine


Quartz, 6.3cm long	© John W Matson Jr.

Quartz
USA
Utah, Kane Co.


Quartz, v. petrified wood, 22cm wide	© Danny Jones

Quartz
USA
Utah, Millard Co.


Quartz v. petrified wood, 21.4cm wide	© Danny Jones

Quartz
USA
Utah, Sevier Co., Sevier Canyon


Quartz v. agate & calcite, 10cm	© R. Barney


Quartz, v. agate, 19cm wide	© 2008 R. Barney

Quartz
USA
Utah, Summit Co., Woodland, Woodland Quarry


Quartz v. chalcedony after coral, 7.5cm long.	© Rockpick

Quartz
USA
Utah, Tooele Co., Deep Creek Mts, Gold Hill District (Clifton District), Gold Hill, Gold Hill Mine (Western Utah Mine)


Quartz xls with twin, 6.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Utah, Tooele Co., Oquirrh Mts, Ophir District, Ophir Hill area, Hidden Treasure Mine (Sacramento; Chicago)


Drusy quartz on Aurichalcite, 9.3cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Utah, Wayne Co., Notem Bench


Quartz v. petrified wood, 16.5 cm wide	© R. Barney

Quartz
USA
Vermont, Grand Isle Co., South Hero, Lessor Quarry


Quartz, ~3cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Vermont, Rutland Co., Mount Tabor, Devil's Den


Quartz, 7cm wide	© 2005 Peter Cristofono

Quartz
USA
Virginia, Amelia Co., Winterham, Morefield Mine (Morefield Pegmatite)


Quartz ~7cm wide

Quartz
USA
Virginia, Amherst Co.


Quartz v. amethyst, 4cm tall	© Russell G. Rizzo

Quartz
USA
Virginia, Lynchburg Co., Lynchburg, Virginia Greenstone Company Quarry


Quartz v. amethyst, 9.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Virginia, Prince Edward Co., Rice


Quartz v. amethyst, 3.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 6.9cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Washington, Cowlitz Co., Kalama area, Roadcuts


Quartz v. chalcedony, 4.8cm wide	© JSS

Quartz
USA
Washington, Kittitas Co., Vantage area


Quartz v. petrified wood, 18.4cm wide	© Paul De Bondt

Quartz
USA
Washington, Lewis Co., Logan Hill, Lucas Creek


Quartz v. agate/carnelian, ~.4kg	© 2008 AlienTaste.com


Quartz v. agate/carnelian, ~1kg	© 2008 AlienTaste.com


Quartz v. agate, 5.5cm wide	© Don Volkman 2/24/08

Quartz
USA
Washington, King Co., Denny Mountain


Quartz/amethyst scepters, ~15cm wide	©


Quartz/amethyst scepters, ~12 cm wide	©


Amethyst scepters, 5.4cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz/amethyst scepters, 9.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz/amethyst scepter, 3.2cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz "raspberry" scepters ~3cm tall	©


Quartz "raspberry" scepter, 5cm tall	©


Two Quartz twins, ~2cm wide	©


Quartz, ~5cm wide	©


Smoky Quartz, 8.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz with twin, ~4cm wide	©


Quartz with twins, ~7cm wide	©


Quartz with twin, ~6cm wide	©


Quartz twin, ~8cm wide	©


Quartz with twin, ~30cm	©


Quart twins & Siderite, ~4cm wide	©


Quartz "raspberry" scepter, ~15cm tall	©


Quartz/amethyst, ~22 cm wide	©

From the variety of fine quartz specimens that this locality has produced it is easy to understand why is was such a popular collecting site for collectors. The "raspberry" scepters were probably the most sought after specimens that the locality produced, but who could resist the fine Quartz Japan law twins that the locality produced? Some of the specimens pictured here were as good as they got.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Washington, King Co., Goldmyer Hot Springs


Quartz, ~6cm tall	© Steve Satra

Quartz
USA
Washington, King Co., Goldmyer Hot Springs, Pedro Claim


Quartz, ~5cm wide	©


Quartz with twins, ~4cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Washington, King Co., Goldmyer Hot Springs, Spruce Claim (Spruce Ridge)


Quartz & Pyrite, 6cm	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz twin, ~6cm wide	©


Quartz/amethyst scepters ~6cm wide	©


Quartz & dirt?~3.5cm wide	©


Quartz, the largest ~6cm tall	© Joseph A. Freilich


Quartz, ~7cm wide	©


Quartz & Pyrite, ~11cm wide	©


Quartz & Pyrite, ~6cm wide	©

The locality is most famous for fine clusters of prismatic Quartz crystals associated with bright shiny cubic pyrite. Some of the quartz showed sceptered ends, and that only increased their appeal. Whole summers were spent by teams of collectors working like trolls often hanging from ropes on the canyon sides in order to work. But when you can collect specimens like this, it is worth it.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Washington, King Co., North Bend, Bald Hornet Claim (Blue Mountain Saddle)


Quartz twin & Tourmaline, ~7cm wide	©


Two Quartz twins, ~5cm wide	©

The classic specimens from this locality featured fine clear shiny Japan law twinned quartz crystals associated with tufts of fibrous black tourmaline.

Quartz
USA
Washington, King Co., North Bend, Devils Canyon area


Quartz twin, ~3.5cm wide	©

A very steep canyon often slick with seeping water and moss growing on rocks. You really needed ropes to work parts of this canyon and always there was danger from falling rocks. You could work for two or three days and not come away with a good Japan law twinned quartz like the one shown here.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Washington, King Co., North Bend, Green Mountain, Bessemer Ridge


Quartz after epidote, 8cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Back in the 60s Bart Cannon broke into a large pocket of these interesting specimens and collected two or three hundred of them. But like so many other similar finds, you rarely see one for sale today.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Washington, King Co., North Bend, Mount Teneriffe


Quartz twin, 2cm wide	© 2003 John H. Betts


Quartz xls. with twin, ~9cm wide	©


Quartz twins on matrix, ~9cm wide	©


Quartz twins, ~6cm wide	©


Quartz twins on matrix, ~9cm tall	©


Quartz twin on matrix, ~5cm tall	©


Quartz twin on matrix, ~6cm wide	©


Quartz, ~7cm wide	©


Quartz twin on matrix, ~5cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Washington, King Co., Snoqualmie District, Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River


Quartz, ~7cm wide	©


Quartz twin, ~6cm wide	©


Quartz including? ~6cm tall	©


Quartz including ?, ~6cm tall	©


Quartz scepter, ~2.4cm tall	©


Quartz with phantom, ~3cm tall	©


Quartz scepter ~9cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Washington, King Co., Snoqualmie District, Snoqualmie Pass, Denny Creek


Quartz & twins, 6.4cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 9cm wide	© DM 07

Quartz
USA
Washington, Skagit Co., Mount Vernon, Walker Valley


Quartz, 7cm tall	© 2007 ROM


Quartz, 9cm wide	© 2007 ROM

Quartz
USA
Washington, Yakima Co., Mount Adams, Mount Adams area


Quartz v. petrified wood, 34cm wide	©


Quartz v. petrified wood, 17.5cm wide	© Paul De Bondt

Quartz
USA
Wyoming, Natrona Co., Granite Mountains, Split Rock


Quartz xl, 4.5cm tall	© Martins da Pedra


Quartz xl., 3cm wide	© Martins da Pedra

Quartz
USA
Wyoming, Park Co., Yellowstone National Park


Quartz v. amethyst on agate, 24cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Wyoming, Sweetwater Co.


Quartz v. petrified wood, 7.2cm wide	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. petrified wood, 2.7cm	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. petrified wood, 8.5cm	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. petrified wood, 10cm wide	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. petrified wood, 12cm wide	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. petrified wood, 12cm wide	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. petrified wood, 10.9cm wide	© Danny Jones

Quartz, Nebraska to Oklahoma (8 replies)

Rock Currier — Sat, 11 May 2013 20:23:34 +0000

Click here to view Quartz, Alabama to California here for Quartz from Colorado to Montana here for Quartz from Nebraska to Oklahoma here for Quartz, Oregon to Wyoming, here for Best Minerals Quartz and here for Best Minerals A to Z and here for Fast Navigation of completed Best Minerals articles.

Can you help make this a better article? What good localities have we missed? Can you supply pictures of better specimens than those we show here? Can you give us more and better information about the specimens from these localities? Can you supply better geological or historical information on these localities? After each set of pictures there should be some descriptive text. If none appears it means that we need someone to tell us about the specimens from that locality and something about the geology of the occurrence.

This is a continuation of the Best Minerals, Quartz, USA. These fields will only accommodate about 60,000 characters so the article had to be split up into more than one thread. As localities and more and better images are added this article will need to be split into further threads until it is decided to move them to a format that can accommodate more characters or perhaps a database format.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Nebraska, Dawes Co.


Quartz after Gypsum, 4.4cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz after Gypsum, 4cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz after Gypsum, 11cm wide	© Dan Weinrich

Nebraska is probably the most mineralogically challenged states in the country, perhaps rivaled in its paucity of specimens only by Hawaii or Puerto Rico. These Quartz pseudomorphs after Gypsum are not unique because they are found at other localities, but I thought they were pretty cool and worth of inclusion here in Best Minerals.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Nebraska, Gage Co., Holmesville


Quartz, 5.5cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Elko Co., Independence Mountains District, Murray mine


Drusy Quartz on Barite, 11.4 cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Drusy Quartz on Barite, 9.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

These might fit better in the calcite section, but the sparkling drusy quartz coating on the calcite crystals make them attractive and since drusy gems are now in fashion I thought what the hell....
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Elko Co., Jackpot


Quartz, v. picture jasper, 23cm wide	© Crater Rock Museum

I know I will catch hell from the mineral collecting purists for including something like this in Best Minerals, but the general public finds such things fascinating, so I am including it as well as a lot of other cut and polished agates etc here. I wish I had a real hard line lapidary agate nut that would help me stick a bunch of good agates and other lapidary items here in Best Minerals. Let me know if you would like to help.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Humboldt Co., Potosi District, Getchell sec. 5 pit (Marshall Canyon mine)


5.5cm Quartz xl on matrix	© Keith Wood, 2005


Quartz, 2cm wide	© Keith Wood, 2005

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Humboldt Co., Virgin Valley District


Quartz/opal after pine cone, 3.8cm tall	© Don Volkman 12/07


Quartz v. precious opal, 7.6cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. precious opal, 4.6cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. precious opal, 6.6cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. precious opal, 6.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Fire opal has been dug at Virgin Valley for at least 100 years and fine examples of it have sold for thousands of dollars. Unfortunately the opal from this locality, thought it is often displays fabulous colors, is not very stable and has the reputation of cracking if left out of water or oil for a long time. Most of the fire opal has been found as replacements of limb casts, but other fossilized material has also been found converted to fire opal. Back in the 1960s there was a well known jeweler/rock shop in the Phoenix, Arizona called Hodson's after the owners name. He owned property or had claims in the Virgin Valley, Nevada area where they periodically mined for fire opal. In the store they had a fairly good size fish tank and in the bottom of the tank on the gravel floor, they kept a number of fist size limb casts of fire opal from their mines. It was a great way to display them and it also helped to preserve them from cracking.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Mineral Co., Fitting District, Gillis Range, Zapot pegmatite


Smoky Quartz, 6cm tall	© DM 06

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Nye Co., Manhattan District


Stibnite in Quartz, 7.3cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Pershing Co.


Quartz v. petrified wood, 15cm wide	© Danny Jones

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Pershing Co., Antelope District, Lovelock, Trinity Mts.


Stibnite/Stibiconite in Quartz, 2.4cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Stibnite in Quartz, 4.4cm	© Rob Lavinsky

This locality has produced a few crystals of quartz containing inclusions of stibnite, but they are few and far between and never plentiful. Also the crystals are rarely more than an inch or two in length. In some of the crystals, the stibnite has been altered or partially altered to other antimony minerals. At the Bottomley Prospect which may be were the crystal pictured here came from, Scott Klein of Great Basin Minerals spent several days digging a trench .7x5x2 meters and for his trouble recovered "several dozen" quartz crystals between two and three cm long with stibnite and altered stibnite minerals included in clear quartz. That makes for some pretty expensive little quartz crystals. I don't think he has returned to dig there again.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Pershing Co., Star District, Bloody Canyon Mine


Stibnite/Valentinite in Quartz, 5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Storey Co.,Comstock District


Quartz v. amethyst, 8.5cm wide	© Russell G. Rizzo

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Washoe Co., Petersen Mountain


Quartz, 12.5cm wide	© Arliguie M


Quartz scepter, largest ~7cm tall	©

Petersen mountain is right on the state line between California and Nevada and fine smoky/amethyst scepters have been found on both sides of the line. The mountain has been dug on by amateur collectors and commercially for a long time. There have been many claims filed on various portions of the mountain and some of the claims like the Crystal Tips No.1 actually is right on the border of California and claim papers have apparently been filed in both states. Currently mining regulations make mining in Nevada more congenial than in California so the two commercial digs that are currently intermittently operating are working on the Nevada side of the mountain. I don't think it really makes any difference to collectors exactly where on the mountain any particular specimen came from, nor is there any practical way of knowing or maintaining the provenance of each specimen. Recently a very fine large scepter was mined that was at least a foot long with a great big fat mostly smoky scepter sitting on a long slender quartz crystal. Some people would murder their grand mother to get their hands on a specimen like that.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Washoe Co., Petersen Mountain, Crystal Tips No. 1 pit


Quartz scepter	© John Cornish

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Washoe Co., Petersen Mountain, Hallelujah Junction, Royal Scepter Mine


Quartz scepter, 6.7cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz scepter, 10.2cm tall	© Joseph A. Freilich, LLC

Quartz
USA
Nevada, Washoe Co.Petersen Mountain, Petersen Mountain Quartz Mines


Quartz v. amethyst scepter, 9cm tall	© Russell G. Rizzo


Smoky Quartz scepter, 9.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
New Hampshite, Carroll Co., Albany


Quartz, 7.5cm tall	© Henry Minot 2009


Smoky Quartz xl, 3.3cm tall	© 2005 Peter Cristofono

Quartz
USA
New Hampshire, Carroll Co., Albany, Government Pit (Government Gravel Pits)


Smoky Quartz on Albite, Orthoclase, 6.6cm	© Henry Minot 2008

Quartz
USA
New Hampshire, Carroll Co., Bartlett, North Moat Mt. locality


Smoky quartz, 7.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Smoky Quartz, 9cm	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz, 5cm	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz on Albite, 5cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
New Hampshire, Carroll Co., Conway


Quartz, Microcline & Albite, 5.2cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz with Microcline, 9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz on Microcline, 5.5cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 8.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
New Hampshire, Carroll Co., Hale's Location, Middle Moat Mt. locality


Smoky Quartz, 4.5cm	© 2000 John H. Betts


Quartz on Microcline, 9cm	© CTrebilcock 2008


Smoky Quartz, 4cm wide	© Jay Vonderhey

Quartz
USA
New Hampshire, Carroll Co., Ossipee


Quartz v. amethyst, 4.3cm tall	© Collectors Edge

Quartz
USA
New Hampshire, Cheshire Co., Westmoreland, Stoddard Mine


Quartz, 6cm wide	© 2007 Peter Cristofono

Quartz
USA
New Hampshire, Coos Co., Cambridge


Epidote on Quartz, 3.3cm wide	© 2005 Peter Cristofono


Epidote on Quartz, ~3.8cm wide	© Joseph A. Freilich

Quartz
USA
New Hampshire, Rockingham Co., Nottingham


Drusy red Quartz, 5cm wide	© 2007 Peter Cristofono

Quartz
USA
New Jersey, Passaic Co., Haledon, Braen Quarry (Sam Braen Quarry)


Quartz v. amethyst, ~22cm wide	© EAS 2007


Quartz v. agate nodule C&P, ~6cm wide	© EAS 2009

Agate and amethyst specimens are found from time to time in the quarries of the New Jersey trap rocks, but not often and not very good and even the best of them them seem rather pedestrian when compared to some of the really good localities that produce really fine examples of these minerals.

Quartz
USA
New Jersey, Passaic Co., Little Falls Township, Houdaille Quarry (Consolidated Stone and Sand Company Quarry; Consolidated Quarry)


Quartz after glauberite, ~8cm wide	© EAS 2007


Quartz @ glauberite 4cm	© John H. Betts

A number of quarries in the New Jersey trap rock area produce quartz casts after glauberite and they can be distinguished from anhydrite casts which are quite a bit more common by their diamond shaped cross sections. The ones pictured above are good, but better ones are shown below and some of them even have other minerals growing inside the casts. Good stuff, especially for pseudomorph collectors.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
New Jersey, Passaic Co., Paterson


Hematite coated Quartz, 6.3cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Close up of specimen to left	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz after anhydrite & Calcite, ~6cm wide	©


Quartz after Glauberite, ~7cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
New Jersey, Passaic Co., Paterson, Lower New Street quarry


Quartz after anhydrite, ~7cm wide	©


Quartz after glauberite & Chabazite, ~10cm wide	©


Quartz after glauberite, ~7cm wide	©


Quartz after anhydrite, ~12cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
New Jersey, Passaic Co., Paterson, Upper New Street Quarry (Burger's Quarry)


Hematite coated Quartz, 8.2cm wide	© Frank A. Imbriacco III


Quartz/amethyst & Chabazite, ~11cm wide	© EAS 2007

Quartz
USA
New Jersey, Passaic Co., Prospect Park, Prospect Park Quarry (Sowerbutt Quarry; Vandermade Quarry; Warren Brothers Quarry)


Quartz @ glauberite & Heulandite, 5cm	© Polityka


Quartz after glauberite, ~12cm wide	© EAS 2007


Quartz after glauberite with prehnite, ~7cm wide	©


Quartz after glauberite & Chabazite, ~9cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
New Jersey, Somerset Co., Watchung, Fanwood Quarry (Fanwood Stone Crushing and Quarry Co. Quarry; Fanwood Crushed Stone Co. Quarry; Scotch Plains Quarry; Weldon Quarry)


Quartz v. chalcedony, 10cm wide	© Frank A. Imbriacco III

Quartz
USA
New Jersey, Somerset Co., Bernards Township, Millington Quarry (Morris County Crushed Stone Co. Quarry; Tilcon Quarry)


Quartz/amethyst & Calcite, ~8cm wide	© EAS 2008

Quartz
USA
New Jersey, Union Co., Springfield, Houdaille Quarry (Summit Quarry; Commonwealth Quarry)


Quartz v. agate nodule (C&P) ~6cm wide`	© EAS 2009

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Chaves Co., Pecos River Valley


Quartz, 1.2cm	© 2006 Peter Cristofono


Quartz, "Pecos diamond" ~1cm wide	© 07 David Aldridge

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Eddy Co., Artesia


Quartz, pseudo cubic ~12mm wide	© aca

A fine example of a Pecos Diamond. "Pecos Diamonds" are quartz crystals that are found along the Pecos River valley, either weathered out of or still inside a selenite rock matrix of the Permian Seven Rivers formation in south-eastern New Mexico. They are authigenic quartz crystals that grew inside the matrix and not in a pocket. They come in different shapes and habits, this one is a "pseudocubic" quartz that is dominated by very large r-faces. It is not really a cube because the angles between the rhombohedral faces are not 90° but 85.2° and 94.8°, respectively, so the "cube" is slightly skewed. The edges of the crystal are 10-15mm long. Found and donated by John Kashuba.
[Amir Akhavan 2012]

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Eddy Co., Seven Rivers


Quartz "Pecos diamonds" in matrix, ~4cm wide	© 2003 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Grant Co., Central District, Vanadium, Groundhog Mine


Quartz, 8cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Grant Co., Steeple Rock District


Quartz v. amethyst, 3cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 2.5cm wide	© SMS 2006


Quartz v. amethyst, 3.3cm wide	© jnemitz

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Hidalgo Co., Yankee Dog Claim


Chalcedony desert rose, 11cm	© 2002 John H. Betts


Chalcedony desert rose, 6.5cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Chalcedony desert rose, 7cm	© Russell G. Rizzo

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Lincoln Co.


Chalcedony desert rose, 9.6cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Chalcedony desert rose, 5cm	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Lincoln Co., Capitan District, El Capitan Mts, Mina Tiro Estrella


Smoky Quartz twin, ~11cm wide	©


Smoky Quartz twin on Albite? ~3cm wide	©


Smoky Quartz twin, ~4.5cm wide	©


Smoky Quartz twin, ~9cm wide	©


Smoky Quartz, 10cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz twins, largest is ~4.4cm	© Rob Lavinsky

The Mina Tiro Estrella quartz locality has long been famous for producing some of North America's finest Japan-law twins. What sets the twins apart from many other localities is their smoky color, gem quality, mirror-like luster and pronounced striations on the flattened crystal faces. The twins were first found by Dick Jones in 1976 when he reportedly followed the directions of a hunter that had stumbled across some quartz float, including some Japan-law twins, in the Capitan Mountains during a deer/elk hunt. Dick Jones located the place where the twins had been discovered and filed several claims in the area. The problem was he intentionally recorded the claims a half mile further than their actual physical location to protect the property from claim-jumpers, including the claim with the majority of the quartz mineralization, the “Mina Tiro Estrella”. This gave Dick a chance to dig on the Mina Tiro Estrella unhindered and resulted in a major strike in 1978-1979. Many twins of the best quality were found, several of which are pictured here. By 1980 the word was out and other collectors were able to locate the claim and high-grade some fine twins from the diggings. Dick let the claims lapse soon after, and although other people re-filed the claim, not much more significant material has been produced since this time. NOTE: The Mina Tiro Estrella claim is currently under ownership and collecting is not allowed.

The Mina Tiro Estrella smoky quartz occurrence is hosted in a feldspar and quartz-rich granite called alaskite. The mineralization is present in the form of a brecciated vein consisting of alkali feldspar (albite/orthoclase) and quartz that supposedly coincides with a fault striking N48E and dipping 52degSW (I have not personally seen the fault). Most of the vein is covered by colluvium, but in places it can be found on the surface as quartz float. Much of the feldspar is decomposed to the point where it crumbles easily in the hands, even when encountered several feet under the surface of the vein outcrop. The vein opens up into pockets to about 10 cm, and very rarely to 25 cm, in which the quartz crystals (including many Japan Law twins) form along with allanite and small crystals of titanite. The hanging wall of the vein abuts against a clay layer of unknown thickness, and it is along this contact that many of the finest twins are found. Allanite is present in many of the small pockets as jet-black crystals up to 3 cm, but in many cases the crystals are metamict due to the presence of radioactive thorium. Small crystals of reddish-brown titanite up to 6 mm are present in these pockets, usually sprinkled upon the quartz/feldspar matrix and even a few of the quartz crystals themselves.

Smoky quartz crystals from Mina Tiro Estrella can be pale to dark smoky in color, but the vast majority of the crystals found are pale to medium smoky (most likely caused by natural radiation of thorium present in the allanite). Single prismatic crystals usually have not grown much larger than 4 cm (occasionally up to 7 cm) and exhibit the tessin habit. Japan-law twins are common. Most of the crystals have very pronounced striations running perpendicular to the C axis, and coupled with brilliant luster, make for very dazzling specimens. Occasionally crystals with a dull or matte luster are found, but these can be considered a minority. Surprisingly, the Japan-law twins are usually much larger (up to 10 cm on a side) than the regular tessin-style crystals. Back in the late 1970's and early 1980's Dick Jones marketed many very dark twins that nobody else has ever found, so some questions exist as to whether or not the color of these is completely natural.
[Philip Simmons 2013]

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Lincoln Co., Sacramento Mountains, White Mountain Wilderness, Smoky Bear (Crystal; Bonita Crystal)


Smoky Quartz, 9.3cm wide	© Dan Weinrich, Inc.


Quartz, 5.5cm	© 2001 John H. Betts

The differences between Sierra Blanca and mina Tiro Estrella smoky quartz. (the Trio Estrella is the locality listed directly above.)
Information and mineral specimens from both localities often get mixed together, so I want to briefly address these common mix-ups. Both localities are within the boundary of the Lincoln National Forest, but Sierra Blanca is in the Sacramento Mountains while Mina Tiro Estrella is in the Capitan Mountains 30 miles to the ENE. To my knowledge only at Sierra Blanca has mineral collecting been forbidden by the Forest Service, and have smoky quartz crystals been confiscated from operations back in the 1980’s. I believe there has been a regulation of sorts against collecting here, but it is very rarely enforced. Mina Tiro Estrella has, for the majority of its existence, always been a valid claim and is still currently under claim although collecting is not permitted by the owner.

Concerning the specimens from each respective location, smoky quartz is commonly found from both places, but the similarities end there. Crystals from Mina Tiro Estrella are relatively small (singles to 7 cm, twins to 10 cm) and are generally twinned or of the tessin habit whereas the crystals from Sierra Blanca are all simple-prismatic and can get much larger (to 40 cm). Color of the Mina Tiro Estrella quartz is usually pale to medium smoky with very few dark crystals, while quartz from Sierra Blanca is usually medium to dark smoky with occasional pale crystals. Luster from both locales can be matte to brilliant, but striations on Mina Tiro Estrella specimens are much more pronounced. Japan law twins are found from Mina Tiro Estrella and not from Sierra Blanca. Very few accessory minerals are found along with the smoky quartz from Sierra Blanca, except for occasionally some white, colloform fluorite and very rarely mint-to-emerald green fluorite octahedrons. Major accessory minerals from Mina Tiro Estrella include white feldspar crystals (either albite or orthoclase), sharp, bladed crystals of black allanite, and small brownish-red titanite crystals.
[Philip Simmons 2013] Also see the entry directly above tor the Tiro Estrella "mine".

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Luna Co., South Canyon


Agate nodules, Cut & Polished=(C&P), 7cm wide	© 0


Quartz v. agate nodule (C&P), 4cm wide	© 0

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Luna Co., Baker Ranch


Agate nodules C&P	© Alan Goldstein


Agate nodule, Cut & Polished=C&P 5.5cm	© Antonio Borrelli


Quartz v. agate nodule, cut & polished	© Alan Goldstein


Agate nodules (C&P)	© Alan Goldstein


Quartz v. agate nodule C&P, 4.5cm wide	© Antonio Borrelli


Quartz v. agate nodule (C&P), 6cm wide	© Antonio Borrelli


Quartz v. agate nodule (C&P), 4cm wide	© 0

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Luna Co. Deming


Chalcedony desert rose, 15.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


UV image of specimen on left	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Luna Co., Dose District, Faywood Mine


Quartz after calcite, 8cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Luna Co., Tres Hermanas District


Quartz, agate geode, ~4cm wide	© Rui Nunes 2008

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Otero Co., Orogrande District


Drusy Quartz on Malachite, 3.8cm wide	© JSS

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Santa Fe Co., New Placers District


Quartz, 8cm wide	© FL Murray


Quartz twin, 2.1cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Santa Fe Co., New Placers District, San Pedro Mine


Quartz xls with twins, 6.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Socorro Co., Hansonburg District, Bingham, Mex-Tex Mine


Quartz v. amethyst, 5.0cm wide	© Dan & Diana Weinrich Minerals

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Socorro Co., Ladron District, Cascabel Mine


Quartz v. amethyst, 10.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
New Mexico, Socorro Co., Magdalena District, Kelly Mine


Drusy Quartz after calcite? Quartz, 7.5cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
New York, Herkimer Co.


Quartz v. Herkimer, 5.5cm	© Kristalle and Crys


Quartz v. Herkimer, ~2.5cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, "Herkimer diamond"	© M.Adamowicz


Quartz v.Herkimer in matrix, 13.4cm	© Rob Lavinsky

The quartz crystals from the Herkimer County region of New York state have been known long before "white men" came to North America and indigenous people who lived in the region. Settlers found them in their fields and in the streams of the area and in time came to be know as Herkimer diamonds after a military officer and whose name was eventually given to the area of what is now Herkimer County, New York. The quartz crystals have been called herkimer diamonds because they are shiny and sparkly look like what the settlers thought a natural diamond might look like, though it is unlikely that any of them had ever seen a natural diamond crystal. Frequently they are doubly terminated and are found in cavities in the local limestone, more correctly dolostone. The region has been the happy hunting ground for field collectors for more than 100 years. Currently all the land in the area is either privately owned or property of the State of New York which frowns upon people digging big holes in their property, people still flock to the area to collect their pretty quartz crystals. There are several places where for a fee you can dig to your hearts content and if you are willing to work like convicts on a rock pile you can still on occasion find fine specimens. Over the years it has become increasingly difficult to find fine specimens, but the people keep coming. Almost all the specimens of crystal clusters that are sold to collectors. Almost all the crystals that are found are found as loose crystals and though at one time they may have grown together, time, the geological processes that take place in the ground and the mining processes act to break the crystal clusters apart and to get nice crystal clusters, the crystals must be carefully fitted back together and glued in place. Almost all the fine clusters of herkimer quartz that are know today have been made by carefully fitting the crystals back to gather. Given the great amount of hard hand labor that is needed to find these things today, there will never be any big quantity of them on the market, and the prices for the find examples of them will always be high. Sometimes the quartz crystals from this region can reach more than six inches in size, these large crystals are always full of cracks and never as perfect as many of the smaller crystals. A perfect transparent doubly terminated undamaged "diamond" of more than an inch is rare, and I don't think I have ever seen one larger than two inches and the ones that are larger than an inch often tend to have a slight smoky color. Sometimes the pockets in the limestone where the crystals are found will produce hundreds of small, many of them the size of rice grains. Although there is not much of a market for them, collectors carefully collect them up and sometimes you will see small glass bottles filled with hundreds or even thousands of these tiny brilliant doubly terminated quartz crystals. I have always wanted one of these bottles, but have never seen one for sale. Sometimes the quartz from this region has little black inclusions of some carbon based material and people have speculated that this may be one of the reasons for the particular brilliance and transparency of the quartz from this locality.
[Rock Curried 2009]

The largest perfect Herkimer Diamond I have seen came from the "Ace of Diamonds" area in the late 1950's. It was collected by Therm Baskin from New Jersey at that time. The crystal was completely flawless,doubly terminated,no inclusions.no carbon inside or out,no tiny or other attached crystals. It was the only crystal in a pocket the size of a 10 qt bucket. The crystal was nicely proportioned and about 4 inches in length. He was offered $10,000 dollars by the owner of the mine the day he found it. Smithsonian Museum also wished to acquire it at the time. Last time I saw the crystal it was still in his glass showcase at his house in the early 1960's. He always told me he had no intentions of ever selling it. Anyone know where it is today?
[Clifford Trebilcock 2012]

Quartz
USA
New York, Herkimer Co., Little Falls, Treasure Mountain Diamond mine


Quartz v. Herkimer, 2cm tall	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz scepter, 3.8cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz scepter, 1.4cm tall	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
New York, Herkimer Co., Town of Newport, Middleville


Quartz, "Herkimer diamond", 2cm	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz, "Herkimer diamond", 1.9cm	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz v.Herkimer" 5.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. Herkimer diamond, 2.6cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v Herkimer in matrix, 7.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
New York, Herkimer Co., Town of Newport, Middleville, Ace of Diamonds Mine


Quartz v. Herkimer diamonds, 9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. Herkimer diamond, 2cm	© Joseph A. Freilich


Quartz v. Herkimer diamond, 5.2cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. Herkimer, 5.2cm	© 2008 Michael C. Roarke


Quartz "Herkimer diamonds" on Calcite, 12cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
New York, Herkimer Co., Town of Newport, Middleville, Herkimer Diamond Mine (Herkimer Diamond Development)


Quartz v. Herkimer on matrix, 2cm	© MineralMovies.com


Quartz v. Herkimer, ~6.5cm wide	© Joseph Kapelewski

Quartz
USA
New York, Montgomery Co., Mohawk Township, Fonda


Quartz v. Herkimer diamonds, 10cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
New York, Montgomery Co., Mohawk Township, Fonda, Diamond Acres locality


Quartz v. Herkimer, 3.3cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz, 2.5cm	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
New York, Montgomery Co., St. Johnsville


Quartz v. Herkimer, 10cm wide	©


Quartz v Herkimer & Calcite, 6cm wide	© JAF, LLC

Quartz
USA
New York, St Lawrence Co., Chub Lake, Chub Lake Prospects


Quartz on Hematite? size unknown	© Joseph A. Freilich


Another picture of specimen on left	© Joseph A. Freilich

Quartz
USA
New York, St. Lawrence Co., Fowler


Quartz, 4.8cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
New York, Ulster Co., Ellenville, Ellenville Mine (Ellenville Lead Mine; Ulster mine)


Quartz, 12.6cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

This mine was closed in 1932 but was worked by Dutch settlers in the late 1600s and supplied lead for use in the revolutionary war. It has produced nice specimens of quartz and chalcopyrite but you rarely see them any more and when you do they are almost always rather heavily damaged.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
New York, Warren Co., Lake George


Quartz, Herkimer type	© 2008 Peter Cristofono

Quartz
USA
North Carolina, Alexander Co., Hiddenite


Quartz, 7.7cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 3cm wide	© Danny Jones

Quartz
USA
North Carolina, Avery Co., Spruce Pine District


Smoky Quartz, 8.1cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 6cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
North Carolina, Guilford Co., Oak Ridge


Quartz v. amethyst, 3.3cm wide	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. amethyst, largest is 3.4cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
North Carolina, Iredell Co., Harmony


Smoky Quartz, 4cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
North Carolina, Iredell Co., Statesville


Quartz v. amethyst, 8cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 7cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 4.4cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 7cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
North Carolina, Lincoln Co., Iron Station, Reel Mine


Quartz v. amethyst, 2.8cm tall	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. amethyst, 5.7cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 4.7cm wide	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. amethyst	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 4.9cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 5.2cm wide	© Dan Weinrich Minerals

Quartz
USA
North Carolina, Mitchell Co., Spruce Pine District, Spruce Pine


Quartz v. opal, 3.5cm tall	© 2008 Michael C. Roarke

Quartz
USA
North Carolina, Union Co.


Quartz v. amethyst, 5.1cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Ohio, Huron Co., Monroeville, West Branch Huron River, Blue Bridge


© WS-2007

Quartz
USA
Ohio, Huron Co., Monroeville, West Branch Huron River, Blue Bridge


Quartz v. amethyst, 2.4cm wide	© WS-09

Quartz
USA
Oklahoma, McCurtain Co.


Quartz, 4.8cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 6.6cm tall	© Dan & Diana Weinrich

Oklahoma is generally better know for the reddish colored Barite roses rather than its quartz crystals, but part of the same geological formation that produces the wonderful quartz crystals in Arkansas intrudes a bit into Oklahoma and the area produces some surprisingly fine quartz specimen. The big single point shown below is exceptional.
[Rock Currier]

Quartz
USA
Oklahoma, McCurtain Co., Broken Bow area


Quartz, 11.4cm wide	© Joseph A. Freilich

Quartz, Austria (66 replies)

Harjo Neutkens — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:45:38 +0000

Click here to view Best Minerals Quartz and here for Best Minerals A to Z and here for Fast Navigation of Best Minerals articles.

Can you help make this a better article? What good localities have we missed? Can you supply pictures of better specimens than those we show here? Can you give us more and better information about the specimens from these localities? Can you supply better geological or historical information on these localities?

Quartz
SiO₂ trigonal

Austrian perfection, Ziller valley Amethyst, found by Gerhard and Hannes Hofer


Amethyst from the Saurüssel, 10x10cm. Great find from the Hofer brothers	© Martin Gruell

A "Stoasuacha" and his treasure


Reinhold Bacher with the largest Quartz ever found in the Lungau area	© Martin Gruell

A "Stoasuacha" in her preferred habitat


Petra Morolz inside a Rock Crystal cleft in the Ankogel group	© R. Purat

Quartz from Austria

Austria covers a major part of the Eastern Alps, an area of outstanding beauty and of great interest geologically and mineralogically.
Since ages the people from Austria have been collecting minerals, mainly Quartz. The so called "Stoasuacha" (rock searchers) were usually farmers or herds who looked for crystals when herding the flock high up the alps during the summer. They would sell them to collectors or cutters in order to get through the long winters.
Collecting Quartz is a way of life for the "Stoasuacha", when the first snow melts in spring they get up in the mountains, sometimes for days on end. They "read" the geology and look for signs that may tell them where a cleft is hidden.
The moment of finding a cleft in the Alps is one that you will never forget, the first sight into a pocket full of crystals, closed since millions of years.
There are many fantastic local collections in Austria, some of them resemble a museum, and some of them are open for public.
It is still possible to find good specimens in the Austrian Alps although one has to climb high, work hard and have a large portion of luck.
Many of the local "Stoasuacha" sell specimens on shows and from their homes. Be prepared to pay a considerable price for a good specimen....

To describe Austrian Quartz finds in an introductory text is a mission impossible. Many outstanding finds have been made during the ages: giant smoky Quartzes, huge and perfect Rock Crystals, exquisite Amethyst sceptres and so on and so on.......especially in the mountauns of the Hohe Tauern, covering large parts of Salzburg, Carinthia and Tyrol.
Some remarkable Quartz finds should however be mentioned here shortly (they will be described in more detail in the text under the locality entries)
In 1934 Alois Steiner sen. and Hubert Prossegger found a cleft on Breitkopf mountain containing 500kg of the finest quality Morion crystals. In 1965 Peter Meilinger and Hans Hofer found huge Quartz crystals in the icy Eiskögele north face. crystals weighing up to 618kg!
The famous Kandutsch clefts; the Eiskluft and the Morionkluft, both on Hocharn mountain, where Georg Kandutsch found spectacular Quartz specimens, sometimes under very extreme conditions! And the "Kristalkeller" on Ankogel mountain. A huge cleft delivering over 2000kg of Quartz crystals.
And of course the famous Wiesbachrinne find made by Lois and Andy Steiner, Morion crystals as perfect as they are dark. Andy Steiners "Skeletquarze" (sceletonquartz), bizarrely etched crystals over 1m large, should also be mentioned. Alfred Aichberger found the largest smoky Quartz of the eastern Alps in the Sattelkar, 203kg, water clear and coffee brown. The largest Amethyst of the Eastern Alps was found by Kurt Novak in the Saurüssel, 1985. In 1972 a true Quartz bonanza happened after the discovery of large Quartzes in Obergösel. Finally I'd like to mention the finds of the Hofer brothers, Hannes and Gerhard. They found amazing Amethysts in the Saurüssel (one of them is pictured above in the introduction photo), in my opinion the most beautiful Amethyst ever found in the Alps. In 2009 they found a spectacular large cross shaped Quartz specimen in the Eiskögele north face, near the Meilinger-Hofer cleft from 1965.

Quartz
Austria
Carinthia, Hohe Tauern Mts, Ankogel group


Quartz Grauleiten 15cm	©


Quartz Schwarzkopf 21cm	© Rudo

Opening a cleft in the Ankogel group


Working a cleft pic.1	© R. Purat


Working a cleft pic.2	© R. Purat


Working a cleft pic.3	© R. Purat


Working a cleft pic.4	© R. Purat


Working a cleft pic.5 The result: A perfect Rock Crystal from the Ankogel group, 31x25cm	© Rudo

On pic.1 we have a first look inside the freshly opened large Alpine cleft. Rock Crystals can be seen on the left side pocket wall.
On pic.2 the lucky finder can see two fabulous surfaces of a large Rock Crystal. At this moment the finder is worried a lot because he does not know yet whether the top of the crystal is undamaged or not.
On pic.3 the finder carefully tries to take away the surrounding crystals and pieces of rock hoping that the huge Rock Crystal, which is not fixed to the cleft ceiling any more, is undamaged. Luckily the crystal must have broken off the ceiling quite some time ago.
On pic.4 the finder of the crystal can hear his heart pounding heavily because he now realizes that he has found something really special. The 30 cm long and about 25 cm thick crystal seems appears to be undamaged and is of gorgeous quality.
On pic.5 we see the result, a completely undamaged perfect Rock Crystal.

Dösenbach valley, Ankogel group


Quartz Dösenbach 18cm	© Rudo


Japan law twin Dösenbach 2,5x2cm	© Rudo


Quartz Dösenbach 11,5cm	©


Prase Quartz Dösenbach 18cm	© Rudo


Quartz Dösenbach 4x5cm	© M. Döpper


Quartz Dösenbach 6x6cm	© M. Döpper


Quartz Dösenbach 12cm	© M. Döpper


Quartz Dösenbach 8x10cm	© M. Döpper

In 1980 a one off find was made by Gerfried Bacher and Herbert Forstnig.
On Eckriegel mountain in Dösenbach valley Gerfried discovered a cleft with wonderful Prase groups. While working, his friend Herbert had to "relieve" himself. When he had found a suitable place for this, a little sparkling thing caught his eye when he bent down to have a ****. It was a very nice Sceptre Quartz lying between the roots of a fallen tree. He began to dig right there and found a cleft with outstanding and bizarre groups of Prase. On top of that nearly all the specimens were totally undamaged. Some of the dark green Prase groups also had water clear Sceptre Quartzes integrated which gave them an amazing contrast. Today the best specimens can be seen at the private museum Kirchler in Ahrntal, Southern Tyrol. [Rudolf Hasler]

Auernig, Ankogel group


Quartz Auernig 9x8cm	©


Quartz Auernig 12x8cm	©


Quartz Auernig 13x10cm	© Rudo


Quartz Auernig 7,5x3,5cm	©

In 1982 Heli Prieml, together with Traudl and Adi Mittinger, were looking for clefts on the slopes of Ankogel mountain. They found a Quartz vein and after three days of fruitless work they suddenly looked into one of the largest Quartz clefts ever found in the area. They were afraid that other people would rob the Quartzes, so they guarded the cleft during the night, even during thunderstorms. Nine more days were spent extracting the crystals before Heli had to go home to his farm to bring in the hey. They closed the entrance carefully and left, to return a couple of weeks later. Before they left they asked the employees of the ski-lifts to notify other collectors that the cleft was being worked. In the Alps this means that no one else should work the cleft during that time, age old "Stoasuacha" ethics!
But the word travelled fast, soon other collectors broke the oath and started working on a cleft that wasn't theirs to work on. When Heli Prieml and the Mittingers came back to continue their work they couldn't believe what they saw, all they could do was cry.
Over 2000kg of fine Quartz crystals came from the cleft.

Quartz
Austria
Carinthia, Hohe Tauern Mts, Goldberg group, Große Fleiß valley, Hocharn Mt.


Rutilated Quartz Hocharn 3cm	© Rudo


Quartz west slope 10x10cm	© Martin Gruell


Quartz Hocharn 11,5cm	©


Quartz Hocharn 10x8cm	© M. Döpper


Quartz Hocharn 9x8cm	© M. Döpper

Hocharn Southwest face


Quartz southwest face 6,5cm	© Rudo


Quartz southwest face 12x8cm	© Rudo


Quartz southwest face 11,5cm	© Gerd Stefanik


Quartz southwest face 5,5cm	©

In 1979 a cleft was discovered on the slopes of Hocharn mountain, being at an altitude of about 3000m the cleft was filled with ice. In the warm summer of 1980 however they came back and after a couple of metres the first crystals started to show. After three days in ice cold water they thought the cleft was finished. But they kept coming back, they got cold and wet, with bloody fingers and sometimes nearly suffocated in the cleft because the gas burners to thaw the ice would deprive the cleft of oxygen. In 1994 Georg Kanditsch came back to the cleft together with Norbert Moser and Walter Tabernig. Cold and wet they realised that 14 years earlier they already found all the crystals. But the cleft revealed more. In 1997 Georg Kandutsch found a huge 300kg heavu Quartz group.
Another famous cleft discovered on Hocharn mountain was Georg Kandutsch' Morionkluft, a cleft filled with fantastic groups of dark Morion crystals with snow white Ankerite.
Matthias and Norbert Daxbacher found exceptionally beautiful Amethysts on the Hocharn

Quartz
Austria
Carinthia, Hohe Tauern, Goldberg group, Zirknitz, Große Zirknitz valley, Sandkopf


Quartz Sandkopf 9cm tall	© Rudo


Quartz sceptre Sandkopf 5cm tall	©


Quartz Sandkopf 8x6cm tall	© Rudo


Quartz Sandkpf, 12x11cm tall	© Rudo

Quartz
Austria
Carinthia, Hohe Tauern, Goldberg group, Zirknitz, Große Zirknitz valley, Sandkopf


Amethyst 21,5cm tall	© H. Fink


Amethyst 16cm tall	© Rudo


Amethyst 10cm tall	© Rudo


Amethyst 5cm tall	© Rudo

An amazing Amethyst cleft was found on Sandkopf mountain in 1987 by Martin Pirker, together with Norbert Moser. They found Amethyst sceptres up to 25 cm tall, showing intense colour and high lustre. Although many crystals were damaged there were at least 20 excellent specimens in the cleft. Each of them is unsurpassed in Europe. [Rudolf Hasler]

Quartz
Austria
Carinthia, Hohe Tauern Mts, Reißeck group


Quartz Böse Nase 5,6cm	© Christian Bracke


Quartz Hintereggengraben 5cm	©

Southeastern part of the Hohe Tauern Mts, located south of the Ankogel group

Hintereggengraben/Mühldorfer Graben, Reißeck group


Amethyst with smoky phantom, 11,5cm tall	© Rudo


Hintereggengraben 4,5cm	© Rudo


Hintereggengraben 7cm	© Rudo


Hintereggengraben 11cm	© Rudo


Mühldorfer Graben 6,5cm	© Rudo


Hintereggengraben 6cm	© Rudo

The mountain ridge between Böse Nase and Hochegg in Hintereggengraben is a top spot for Quartz collectors. Although no real spectacular big finds are reported from there, with clefts being normally small, the most interesting and in my opinion the most beautiful Sceptre Quartzes of the Eastern Alps can be found there. The Quartzes impress by the enormous variety in colour, with beautiful phantoms inside. Opening a cleft there sometimes is really very special because the lucky finder might get something that he had never seen before in such a perfection. Mostly very dark Smoky Quartzes can be collected. Amethysts are very very rare but can be extraordinarily beautiful. Sometimes white sceptres sit on dark black Smoky Quartzes. [Rudolf Hasler]

Quartz
Austria
Austria, Lower Austria, Waldviertel, Maissau, Amethyst vein


Amethyst specimen size: 0,5 x 1m	© MaRi


Amethyst 10cm high	© MaRi


Amethyst 60 x 40cm	© MaRi


Amethyst 12 x 12cm	© MaRi

This amethyst vein was discovered during quarry workings on the Maissauer Höhe around 1845. The vein has a dimension of 0.5 - 1 m in thickness and a confirmed length of 400 m. The estimated length is 1000 m! This vein is provided in the "Maissauer Granit", a part of the Thayapluton.

A part of the vein was opened and since 2005 a museum called Amethystwelt ('Amethyst world') on top of the vein is showing crystals up to 15 cm in situ.

Quartz
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe taurn Mts, Felben valley


Quartz Schiedergraben 12cm	© Martin Gruell

Mineralized clefts in amphibolites.
In this small eastern side valley of the lower Felben valley, nice Quartz specimens and exceptionally large titanite (to 7 cm), apatite (to 3 cm), pyrrhotite (to 10 x 15 x 20 cm) and chalcopyrite crystals (to 4 x 3 x 4 cm) were found.

Quartz
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Gastein valley


Quartz Schwarzkopf 2cm	© Martin Gruell


Quartz Schwarzkopf 23,5cm	© Martin Gruell


Quartz Romate peak 7cm	©


Quartz Silberpfennig 15cm	©

In October 2005 Erwin Scheider was still looking for crystals near his home in Böckstein. He inspected a spot where he once found a nice Fluorite. Because he couldn't find a good hold on the steep slope he decided to dig a foothold. Upon doing so he heard the typical noise of iron against Quartz. He dug deeper and found a Quartz vein. Soon a hole opened and he could take out the first Quartzes. Groups and loose crystals up to 35cm long. He had to stop working the cleft when the snow came. During winter he informed his friend Walter Pfeffer and as soon as the snow was gone they returned. The cleft turned out to be huge. Together they worked days on end and the most fantastic smoky Quartz crystals came out. Some of them up to 60cm long, weighing up to 82kg, and they were very clear, with great lustre and undamaged.

Quartz
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Habach valley


Quartz Habachkees 14,5cm	©

Valley famous for the Emerald deposit, but also very rich in mineralised Alpine clefts.

Breitkopf Mt., Habach valley


Quartz Breitkopf 7,5cm	© Gerd Stefanik


Quartz Breitkopf 13cm	© Gerd Stefanik

In 1934 Lois Steiner sen, together with Hubert Prossegger, found a very large smoky Quartz cleft on Breitkopf mountain. 500kg of excellent quality smoky Quartz crystals came out of the cleft, the largest weighing 52kg.
After the find they got in trouble with the forestry and only after one whole year they could recollect their find at the forestry department.
Only one photo and a cut crystal remain from the find.

Leffler Brunnen, Habach valley


Quartz Leffler 6cm	© Harjo


Quartz Anatase Leffler 5cm	© Harjo

"Schwarzphyllit" (black phyllite) outcrops and blocks situated near the Leffler Brunnen (Leffler source), on the orographic left side of the lower Habach valley.
The outcrops and blocks are particularly rich in TiO2 minerals and quartz in clefts.
A series of small clefts were found by Harjo Neutkens in 2005. They produced nice Quartz crystals up to 12cm but most importantly some Quartz groups were covered with hundreds of Anatase crystals.

Teufelsmühle, Habach valley


Quartz Teufelsmühle 10cm	© Martin Gruell


Quartz Teufelsmühle 8,7cm	© www.mineralienkluft.at

Mineralized clefts in chlorite amphibolite.
Located about 1 km NNW of Leiterkogel mountain.
Famous for "Skeletquarz" or in English corroded Quartz; dramatically etched Quartz crystals. Fantastic specimens of these, with single crystals to over 1m in length, from the find by Andy Steiner and Heinz Kirchtag can be seen in the museum of Bramberg, Austria.

Wiesbachrinne, Habach valley


Wiesbachrinne Quartz on display, note the different shades of smoky colour of crystals from the same cleft	© Harjo


Quartz Wiesbachrinne 15cm	© Martin Gruell


Quartz 9cm	©

Talc schist outcrops and mineralisations in cavernous gneisses. Located SW of Schafkopf mountain and NW of Nasenkopf mountain. Famous for very dark smoky Quartz specimens.
Large smoky quartz find in 1993 by Andy Steiner in the upper Wiesbachrinne. The best smoky Quartz from Austria came from that cleft, crystals up to 40cm and specimens up to 70cm with very dark smoky Quartz, Morion at its best. They, Andy and Reinhard Heim, worked on a small cleft that got bigger and bigger. At the end of the day it started to look like there was a system of clefts. They found very nice smoky Quartzes and they showed them to Alois, Andy's father, and to Manfred, Reinhard's son. They decided to come along and for days on end they worked the cleft system. The spectacular Morion specimens can now be seen at the Steiner's private museum in Steinach-Bramberg as well as in the Bramberg museum.

Quartz
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Hollersbach valley, Scharnbachgraben


Quartz Schafkopf 17cm	© Gerd Stefanik


Quartz Scharn 22cm	© Gerd Stefanik

Info:

Quartz
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Obersulzbach valley


Quartz Seekar 23,5cm	© www.mineralienkluft.at


Quartz Schleiferspitze 16cm	© Gerd Stefanik


Quartz Kampriese 14cm	©


Quartz Wartkopf 10cm	©

Several very good localities for excellent Quartz crystals. Alfred Aichberger found the largest smoky Quartz from the eastern Alps in the Sattelkar. An undamaged 203kg heavy, perfectly clear, coffee brown Quartz crystal. Many friends helped to get the crystal down the slopes into the valley. It now resides in the museum of Bramberg.
In 2006 Franz Gartner (the discoverer of the largest Alpine Kainosite) found a cleft full of perfect water clear Quartz crystals up to 40cm in length in the lower Untersulzbach valley.

Quartz
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Rauris valley


Quartz Rauris 7cm	© E Burgsteiner


Large group ~100cm recent find by G. Aschacher	© Harjo

A valley famous for very good Quartz finds. very often the Quartzes appear as Rauris habit crystals, comparable to Tessin habit Quartzes.

Hoher Sonnblick Mt. area, Rauris valley


Citrine H.Sonnblick 6,7cm	©


Quartz H.Sonnblick 9cm	© www.mineralienkluft.at

In this zone at the southern end of the Hüttwinkl valley, gneisses and amphibolitic migmatites are the predominant rocks.
In 1988 Huber Fink found a cleft in the north face of Hoher Sonnblick mountain. The crystals from the cleft were determined and described by Rudolf Rykart as being the first proof of genuine Citrine crystals from the Austrian Alps (Rudolf Rykart - Quartz Monografie)

Grieswies - Krumlkeeskopf Mt. area, Rauris valley


Quartz with Rutile, 15cm tall	© H. Fink


Quartz Grieswies 11cm	© www.mineralienkluft.at


Quartz Grieswies 7,6cm	© Martin Gruell


Quartz Grieswies 12,8cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz Grieswies 5,3cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz Grieswies 11x9cm	© H. Fink


Quartz Grieswies 9cm	© H. Fink

Within this zone, extending west of the upper Hüttwinkl valley and south of the Ritterkopf massif into the upper Krumlbach valley, Penninic amphibolites, chlorite schists, micaschists, phyllites, prasinites, quartzites, as well as triassic lime and dolomite marbles (Seidlwinkl formation) alternate in a rapid succession. In some places, such as in the cliffs of the Grieswies, the different layers are well exposed over a height of up to several hundred meters. This area is very rich in mineralized clefts, which yielded many specimens of outstanding size and quality.

Hocharn Mt., Rauris valley


Quartz Hocharn 43cm, recent find from Franz Bründl	© E Burgsteiner


Quartz Hocharn 15cm	© Gerd Stefanik


Quartz Hocharn 18cm	© Gerd Stefanik


Quartz Hocharn 26cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz Hocharn 23cm	© www.mineralienkluft.at

The Salzburg side of Hocharn mountain. Very rich in mineralised Alpine clefts.
2007, the summer was already going towards its end when Franz Bründl was already passing the Erfurter Steig at the first light of the day. He was on his way towards Hocharn mountain, an area where one could often find him. The area is well known by many collectors so chances of finding a good cleft are very small. That day he searched the rocks recently exposed by the retreating glacier, but nothing was to be found. Late afternoon, when he was already starting to get tired, he spotted a narrow 20cm wide Quartz vein that appeared to show a small hole at the lower end. The vein however was located in an area where many collectors had been before so he had little hopes, he was sure that the cleft had been emptied by others before him. Nevertheless, he got his clefthook out and began to scratch the surface of the cleft interior and after moving 5cm of the sandy surface he looked at a perfect 15cm tall Rock Crystal. What happened next made his hart jump even more, he touched another Quartz face that didn't seem to end.......he started working like an archaeologist, nothing should get damaged.., and after some work he was holding a perfect Rock Crystal, 43cm long and 16kg heavy. He returned the following days and many more crystals followed, among others a 60cm long slender crystal. Everyday his backpack was filled to the rim, he hardly managed to bring everything down the mountain every day, but, he was in very good spirits, I suppose that gave him an extra dose of power.......

Ritterkopf Mt., Rauris valley


Quartz Ritterkopf 20cm	© Gerd Stefanik


Quartz Ritterkopf 10cm	©

Mineralized clefts in micaschists and prasinites.

Vorsterbach valley, Rauris valley


Quartz Vorsterbach 5,1cm	© www.mineralienkluft.at


Quartz Vorsterbach 5cm	© Martin Gruell

A major southeastern branch of the Rauris valley. Located SE of Wörth.

Quartz
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Stubach valley, Ödenwinkel area


Quartz Eiskögele 9cm	©


Quartz Johannisberg 13cm	©

This area includes the Ödenwinkel, a steep slope above the Ödenwinkel glacier, and the chain rimming it, from Hoher Kasten Mt. in the east to Johannisberg Mt. in the west. The Ödenwinkel forms the upper terminus of the Stubach valley.
The largest Quartz crystals from the Eastern Alps were found on in north face of Eiskögele mountain. On the 16th of July 1965 Peter Meilinger and Hans Hofer found gigantic Quartz crystals in an open cleft wile climbing the tricky Eiskögele north face.
The largest of the crystals was 116cm tall, 220cm in diameter and weighed 618kg.
During the very warm summer of 2003 Hannes and Gerhard Hofer went in the north face to look around the seldom ice free area around the Meilinger-Hofer cleft. They opened a new cleft containing large Quartzes with very good quality. In 2009 the Hofer brother found yet another very nice cleft in the same area. The top specimen was a cross shaped Quartz specimen, consisting of a 65cm tall Quartz crystal crossed by a 30cm large Quartz.

Quartz
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Untersulzbach valley, Ascham Alp - Breitfuß Mt. - Sonntagskopf Mt. area,


Quartz Ascham Alp 8cm	©


Quartz Breitfuß 9cm	©

This area is dominated by gneisses, just like the Abichl Alp - Beryller area, southeast to which it is located. However, there also are leucocratic gneisses present, which include a suite of rare bismuth sulphosalts.

Quartz
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Wildgerlos valley, Wildgerlos glacier


Quartz Wildgerlos 13cm	© Gerd Stefanik


Quartz Wildgerlos 10cm	© Gerd Stefanik

Good localities near the glacier for excellent smoky Quartz. Recently Christian Niederegger found a cleft containing large, up to 40cm tall, smoky Quartz of outstanding quality.

Quartz
Austria
Salzburg, Lungau, Murwinkel, Rotgülden, Lower Rotgülden lake, Arsenic mine


Japan Law twin Rotgülden FOV 1,2cm	© AL


Quartz Rotgülden 10cm	©

Abandoned arsenic mine (arsenopyrite-pyrite-chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite mineralisations with minor gold).
Famous for excellent gustavite crystals collected underground.

Quartz
Austria
Salzburg, Lungau, Murwinkel, Weißeck Mt. area (incl. Rauchkopf Mt.; Riedingscharte)


Quartz Weißeck 8cm	© Martin Gruell


Quartz Weißeck 13cm	© Martin Gruell

Located on the ridge between the Murwinkel and the upper Zederhaus valley.
The area around Weißeck mountain is dominated by dolomites and limestones of the Radstadt formation. They occupy an area that is elliptical in plan view, about 3.5 km long and up to 1.5 km wide, with Weißeck mountain located a little south of its center. Fluorite is found in outcrops and loose boulders in numerous places on the slopes, either in clefts or in quartz veins. These occurrences have been known since the late 18th century.

Quartz
Austria
Salzburg, Lungau, Zederhaus valley


23cm large Quartz from Zederhaus. The pocket was in "Grünschiefer"	© www.mineralienkluft.at


Quartz Zederhaus 31kg!	© Martin Gruell


Quartz Zederhaus 31kg!	© Martin Gruell


Quartz Zederhaus 10cm	© Martin Gruell


Quartz Zederhaus 16cm	© Martin Gruell


Quartz Zederhaus 13,2cm	© www.mineralienkluft.at


Quartz Zederhaus 9cm	© Martin Gruell

Valley oriented parallel to the adjacent Mur valley (Murtal).

Quartz
Austria
Styria, Graz, Wildon, Weitendorf Basalt quarry


Quartz Weitendorf FOV 4cm	© ReMi


Chalcedony FOV 5cm	© ReMi

A quarry in andesitic basalt.
Famous for nice chalcedony, aragonite and zeolites (e.g., ferrierite).
Located about 1.5 km west of Weitendorf (west of Wildon and around 17 km south of Graz).

Quartz
Austria
Tyrol, East Tyrol, Tauern valley, Froßnitz valley, Wildenkogel Mt.


Smoky Quartz Wildenkogel, 9x7cm	© Rudo


Quartz Wildenkogel 18cm	© Gerd Stefanik


Quartz Wildenkogel 6cm	©

Info:

Quartz
Austria
Tyrol, East Tyrol, Virgen valley


Quartz Virgental 26,8cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Japan Law twin Pebell Alp 2cm	© Volker Betz

Info:

Quartz
Austria
Tyrol, North Tyrol, Ziller valley, Zemmgrund, Mörchner area, Mörchnerkar


Quartz Mörchner 14cm	© www.mineralienkluft.at


Quartz Mörchnerkar 17,7cm	© Martin Gruell

Info:

Quartz
Austria
Tyrol, North Tyrol, Ziller valley, Zemmgrund, Mörchner area, Saurüssel


Quartz Saurüssel 22cm	© Martin Gruell


Quartz Saurüssel 3,5cm	© Martin Gruell


Quartz Saurüssel 15cm	©


Quartz Saurüssel 9cm	© Gerd Stefanik

A steep ridge west of Kleiner Mörchner mountain and the Mörchnerkees. This area is well known for exceptional iron roses and sceptre amethysts.

The Hofer brothers cleft


Amethyst Saurüssel 17cm	© Martin Gruell


Amethyst Saurüssel 10cm	© Martin Gruell

A remarkable Amethyst find in the Saurüssel was done by the Hofer brothers, Hannes and Gerhard, on a rainy (and snowy higher up in the mountains) day. They didn't expect anything and because most of the area was snow covered they looked at an old cleft in a small mountain stream. Because it was their only option they began to work the rock around the old cleft when all of a sudden they broke into a cleft. When one of the brother got inside with his hands he could feel crystal faces, he took it out and what they saw was something they never saw before. A 17cm large perfect Amethyst sceptre on a thin Rock Crystal stem with the deepest purple colour imaginable. The rainy day turned into a colourful festivity!

The Planitzer cleft


Sceptre Amethyst 21cm tall	© Martin Gruell


Amethyst 9cm tall	© Martin Gruell

Another remarkable Saurüssel find was done by by Erika and Rudolf Planitzer in August 1976. Mr. and Mrs. Planitzer discovered one of the largest Amethyste-clefts ever, in this area. It took 5 days to bring all specimen down in the valley. The find was never published and the discovers don´t show them to many people. Now Mr. Planitzer decided to show some of the best pieces here on Mindat for the Best of Quartz/Austria Page.
Collection Erika and Rudolf Planitzer. [Martin Gruell]

Quartz
Austria
Tyrol, North Tyrol, Ziller valley, Zillergrund


Quartz Grasleiten 22cm	© Gerd Stefanik


Quartz Elfriede 20cm	©

Info:

[Harjo Neutkens, Rudolf Hasler and Martin Gruell 2010-2012]

Click here to view Best Minerals Quartz and here for Best Minerals A to Z and here for Fast Navigation of Best Minerals articles.

Quartz, Belgium (no replies)

Harjo Neutkens — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:16:18 +0000


Working a pocket in an Ardennes Quartz vein	© Harjo

Quartz from Belgium

Quartz is a common mineral in Belgium (as in most countries). Crystals of any size and quality however are rather rare nowadays.
The best Quartz crystals arguably came out of the Quartzite quarries south of Brussels. The quarries of Nil-St Vincent, Opprebais and Dongelberg delivered outstanding Quartz crystals up to 50 cm in length, sometimes accompanied by up to 1 cm large Anatase crystals and sometimes included with Tourmaline crystals.
Also in the Porphyry quarries of Quenast, Lessines, Bierges and Deux-Acren large, up to 50 cm, Quartz crystals have been found and are probably the only locality in Belgium where Japan law twins occurred.
Nowadays the best opportunities to find Quartz crystals of any importance are the Quartz veins in the Ardennes massif, especially around the towns of Bertrix and Bastogne and around the town of Ghedinne, on the edge of the Rocroi massif, as well as the Quartz veins that are occasionally encountered in the Porphyry quarries.
In the Ardennes it might however take years to find out where the Quartz veins are located because most of them are buried under 2 metres of soil in the middle of huge forests. And upon locating one there's still a very small chance that one will find a pocket. The crystallised quartz veins in the Porphyry quarries only occur in the contact zone of Porphyry with the adjacent rock, so only very occasionally these veins can be seen.
Several Quartz veins are located south of the provincial town of Bastogne (known throughout the world because one of the most important battles of world war II was fought there, the battle of the bulge). The Quartz veins straddle the Wardin fault (faille de Wardin) that follows a rough line between the villages of Lutrebois, Marvie, Wardin and Schimpach (Luxembourg). Pockets in these Quartz veins are usually filled with red pocket clay containing a lot of Iron, also Hematite (as "Glaskopf" ) and Limonite are usually present in the pockets. This is why the Quartz veins were mined, to take out the Iron rich pocket clay, Limonite and Hematite and throw away the Quartz, leaving nice crystals for collectors centuries later......Most of the occurrences are either on private property or state owned forests so no searching for minerals should be undertaken without the authorisation of the land owner or the authorities.
[Harjo Neutkens 2010]

Quartz
Belgium
Luxembourg Province, Bastogne, Wardin


8x8cm	© Harjo


11x7x4cm	© Harjo


12x8x5cm	© Harjo


9x6cm	© Harjo

On the dumps of an ancient Iron prospect in a Quartz vein near the small village of Wardin many very nice specimens have been found in the year 2006 and 2007, they came in pretty groups up to 20 cm as well as loose crystals up to 12 cm in length. Of special interest is the fact that Faden crystals were quite common, as well as double terminated crystals.
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]

Quartz
Belgium
Luxembourg Province, Bastogne, Marvie


Very large Quartz group from Marvie	© Harjo


20cm long	© Harjo


20cm tall	© Harjo


15cm tall	© Harjo


15cm tall	© Harjo


19cm tall	© Harjo


26x22cm tall	© Harjo


Rutilated Quartz,5cm tall	© Harjo


Rutilated Quartz, 6cm tall	© Harjo

Click here for a locality photo

Near the small village of Marvie several Quartz veins occur near the Wardin fault. Some of the pockets contain Chlorite and many of the Quartz crystals from these pockets are Chlorite included, sometimes showing attractive phantoms. Also on the fields around the villages of Marvie and Wardin one can find good Quartz specimens (along with the odd world war II hand grenade!!)
In 2010 a large pocket was found in one of the many Quartz veins that are situated in the large forest between Marvie, Wardin and the Luxembourg border. Excellent crystals came out of the pocket. Crystals up to 22 cm in lengths with good lustre and clarity.
[Harjo Neutkens 2010]

Quartz
Belgium
Luxembourg Province, Bastogne, Lutrebois


6x5,5x5cm	© Harjo

Quartz veins edging the Wardin fault. Especially after the farmers have ploughed their fields there are good finding opportunities.

Quartz
Belgium
Luxembourg Province, Bastogne, Les Roches Quarry


9x6cm	© JDehove

Click here for a locality photo

In the 1970s and 80s several fissures were encountered in Les Roches quarry (on the edge of Bastogne town). They showed a nice Alpine type mineralogy; excellent slightly smoky Quartz crystals accompanied by Titanite, Apatite, Anatase and Chlorite. Some very fine examples reside in private collections in Belgium.

South of the village of Bertrix several localities produced fine Quartz specimens. The localities are situated on the edge of La Haie Forest.
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]

Quartz
Belgium
Luxembourg Province, Bertrix, La Haie Forest, Les Rochettes Quarry


4 cm	© Harjo


FOV 0,6cm	© Harjo

Click here for a locality photo

Houthoofdt-Collette quarry produced very nice Quartz specimens over the years. They are accompanied by Chlorite, Apatite, very nice red Anatase, Titanite and Rutile in Alpine type fissures.
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]

Quartz
Belgium
Luxembourg Province, Bertrix, La Haie Forest, Old Quarry


7x3cm	© Harjo


FOV 5cm	© Harjo

On the dumps of a small old quarry close to the Houthoofdt-Collette quarry nice Quartz crystals have been found. Inside the massive Quartz interesting micros can be observed like Anatase, Brookite, Rutile, Fuchsite and Xenotyme-(Y)
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]

Quartz (Var: Amethyst)
Belgium
Luxembourg Province, Stavelot Massif, Vielsalm, Salm-Chateau


FOV 3x2cm	© JDehove

What I consider (in my humble opinion) to be the most aesthetic Quartz specimens from Belgium are the Amethyst sceptres that were recovered from a Quartz vein near the village of Salm-Chateau. The Scepter crystals could get up to 5 cm in length and the most beautiful specimens were those where the Amethyst sceptres are neatly sitting inside Turquoise lined pockets, amazing!
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]

Quartz
Belgium
Luxembourg Province, Stavelot Massif, Vielsalm, Cahai


FOV 0,8cm, Mario Orinx coll.	© Harjo

Around the small town of Vielsalm Cotticule has been mined in many mines and quarries, Cotticule is a metamorphic rock containing many small Spessartine Garnets. It is used as an abrasive stone for sharpening razor blades and knives and has been marketed world wide. Nowadays only one quarry in the nearby town of Lierneux remains active producing Cotticule (now a luxury item whereas it used to be a household item...)
The Cotticule is intersected by small Quartz veins and inside pockets in thos veins nice small Quartz crystals could be found, often as sceptres. Apart from those a long list of interesting micros occur in them, most notable excellent Turquoise (also as single crystals)
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]

In Brabant Province a couple of very large scale quarries exploit Porphyre, a very hard eruptive rock. Spectacular Quartz crystal have come out of the quarries of Quenast, Deux-Acren, Lessines and Bierghes.

Quartz
Belgium
Walloon Brabant Province, Rebecq, Bierghes, Porphyry quarry


12x13cm	© Harjo


22x23cm	© Harjo


20x14cm	© Harjo


19x15cm	© Harjo


11x8cm	© Harjo


20x16cm	© Harjo


10x9cm	© Harjo


24x18cm	© Harjo


14x7cm	© Harjo


12,5cm	© Paul De Bondt

Click here for a locality photo

In 2011, a vein was discovered showing a huge potential for Quartz specimens. The vein was worked for a couple of months by three consecutive a teams of Belgian collectors. Plates covered with very fine, slender, tapered Quartz crystals were found. Almost all of the crystals have red stains of Hematite, and specimens from some pockets show Chlorite inclusions, giving them a nice Alpine touch. Very nice plates of up to 50cm, showing crystals of up to 20cm long were found.
Very nice Fadenquartzes and many Muzo-habit Quartz were amongst the crystals, and I've been told there also were some Japan-law twins amongst them.
The quarry is in full operation, and it is forbidden to enter the quarry without the specific authorisation of the management. At the moment (mid 2012) no permits are being given to collectors until further notice.

Quartz
Belgium
Walloon Brabant Province, Rebecq, Quenast, Porphyr Quarries


7,5cm	© Paul De Bondt 2013


8cm	© Paul De Bondt 2013


12,5 cm	© Paul De Bondt

Click here for a locality photo

In the past some spectacular smoky Quartz specimens have been recovered from Quenast. The largest crystals measured up to 50 cm in length! Sometimes the Quartz specimens were included with Tourmaline and accompanied by centimetre large Anatase crystals. The best specimens reside in a few private collections in Belgium.
A large Quartz vein straddling the contact between porphyry and the surrounding slate, has been worked for Quartz specimens. Most of the specimens from this vein show somewhat milky crystals.
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]

Quartz
Belgium
Walloon Brabant Province, Walhain, Nil-St Vincent-St Martin


8,8cm	© Paul De Bondt


7,3cm	© Paul De Bondt

In the Quartzite quarries south of Brussels some amazing Quartz specimens have been found decades ago. Single crystals could get up to 50 cm in length and 20 cm wide! The most important Quarries were Opprebais and Nil-St Vincent.
Can anyone help me with information and/or photographs of specimens from these localities?

Quartz (Var: Morion)
Belgium
Liège Province, Visé, Richelle


14,4cm	© Paul De Bondt


10,7cm	© Paul De Bondt

In the Dinantian Limestone near the small town of Visé (close to the Dutch border) very fine specimens of Morion Quartz have been found about 20 years ago. Sometimes nice thick tabular crystal of (Meta) Torbernite can be observed sitting on the Morion crystals.
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]

Quartz
Belgium
Liège Province, Sarolay


2cm	©


2cm	©


6cm	©

Location for very nice Fadenquartz and Fenstered Quartz.

Quartz
Belgium
Luxembourg Province, Wellin, Fond des Vaulx Quarry


FOV 3 cm	© Harjo


FOV 0,8cm	© Harjo


FOV 6x4,5cm	© Jose Dehove


FOV0,6cm	© Jose Dehove

Click here for a locality photo

In the Devonian Limestone exploited by the quarries around the village of Wellin very nice smoky coloured Quartz crystals can occasionally be found. The crystals show organic inclusions that are responsible for the smoky colour.
Apart from the smoky coloured Quartz crystals colourless needle Quartz has been found on and off in Fond des vaulx Quarry. Pockets can be lined with up to 5 cm long but only a couple of mm thick Quartz needles.
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]

Quartz
Belgium
Namur Province, Assesse, Crupet


9x11cm	© Harjo


12,5x11cm	© Harjo

Near the small picturesque village of Crupet nice Quartz geodes have been found. The biggest geodes found were in excess of 30 cm in diameter (collection Jose Dehove). The occurrence is restricted to one isolated field, the field is private property so no searching for minerals should be undertaken without the authorisation of the land owner.
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]

Quartz
Belgium
Liège Province, Limbourg, Bilstain, Bilstain quarry


12cm diameter	© Harjo


Quartz, Dolomite 9cm	© Harjo

Active quarry. Quartz lined geodes in Limestone, sometimes also with Dolomite, Calcite, Aragonite and Hematite.

Quartz
Belgium
Liège Province, Amay


8x6cm	© Jose Dehove


8x6cm	© Jose Dehove

On a field 2 km north of the small village of Amay many nice Quartz crystals were found in the 1970s.
Many of the Quartz crystal show a slight smoky colour and many are double terminated. Interestingly also quite a few Fensterquarz crystals were found.
A short story about the discovery of the locality: The doctor of Amay happened to be a mineral collector and had a small display cabinet with some minerals in his waiting room. One day a local farmer came to see the doctor and noticed the minerals in the waiting room upon which the farmer said to the doctor: "oh, I've got lots of those scattered around on my field". After asking for the exact spot and permission to dig in the field the doctor collected many nice crystals together with Jose Dehove (info Jose Dehove).
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]

[Harjo Neutkens 2010]

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Best Minerals, Quartz, USA, Alabama to California (18 replies)

Rock Currier — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 06:43:37 +0000


Quartz, East Coleman Mine, Jessieville, Garland Co., Arkansas, USA ~16cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Of all the quartz localities in the United States, certainly the best know are the various localities in Arkansas. They have been producing quartz crystals for more than 100 years and were even used occasionally by the Indians to make arrowheads. They are seen in collections all over the world and production continues today. There are many different varieties of quartz, perhaps amethyst, agate, opal and petrified wood are among the best known. We will try and include them all here. What localities produce the best specimens of quartz and quartz family minerals? Well, certainly the Quartz from Arkansas would have to rank high on the list. Good amethyst specimens are always in demand by collectors, and those from Georgia can sometimes be spectacular, and those from Montana can also be quite nice. Not all varieties of Quartz need to be form in crystals to be highly valuable. Specimens of "gem silica" (agate colored blue by Chrysocolla) from Arizona can bring thousands of dollars per specimen. Though not quartz in a technical sense, we are including opal here because it is chemically very similar to quartz. Fire opal limb casts from Idaho can also bring high prices. Big, meter plus, slabs of fine petrified wood from Arizona can sell for tens of thousands of dollars. Specimens of quartz showing well formed examples of Japan Law twinned quartz are always popular with collectors and in this section of Quartz, Alabama to Montana fine examples from Arkansas and California may be best. Often times the quartz crystals from various localities are nice but not outstanding, but when they occur growing together with other minerals, those specimens can be worth many times what specimens of just the quartz would bring. A prime example of this are the smoky quartz crystals from Colorado that are sometimes found growing with beautiful blue amazonite crystals.

Of all the common minerals, quartz is probably the most durable. On mindat, the most often hit upon mineral is quartz, and on Mindat's Message Board in the Mineral Cleaning and Preparation forum the most commonly asked questions are about hot to clean quartz specimens. You can scrub up your quartz specimens to your hearts content and even subject them to most strong acids without fear of damaging them. You can even cook them in crock pots with out worry. If you want to clean your quartz specimens, here is a link to an article that will tell you all about cleaning your quartz specimens and what you can do and should not do. [www.mindat.org].
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Alabama, Elmore Co.


Quartz, 6.7cm wide	© G,De'Young

Quartz
USA
Alabama, Jefferson Co., Pinson, Upper Turkey Creek Tributary


Quartz v. agate, 10cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Alaska, Prince of Wales Island, Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Borough


Quartz, 3.1cm wide	© Joseph A. Freilich


Quartz twin, 2cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz & Epidote, 3.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

The specimens pictured above are most likely from one of the Prince of Wales Island localities listed below, but I thought they were interesting enough to include them here even thought they have "lost" their exact localities. The Prince of Wales Island locality is much better know its fine stout black Epidotes than the few quartz specimens it produces. The good Japan Law quartz twin pictured below left may be the best one ever found at the locality and it may be ten times better than the next best one. The locality is remote, and to reach it you have to mount a major expedition or more commonly you hire an airplane that will land you a lake up in the mountains near the mine, camp in a little forest service cabin and each day hike up the mountain to the steep area where the epidote is found and then spend the day, often in the rain working with hand tools to remove the vegetation from the face of the mountain to see if you can expose any pockets of epidote and quartz crystals. The production of specimens from this locality will never be great, and if you have any good ones from there, you should cherish them.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Alaska, Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Borough, Prince of Wales Island, Green Monster Mountain


Quartz twin ~8cm wide	©


Quartz twin, ~7cm wide	©


Quartz, 4.7cm wide	© Chris Tucker


Quartz, 6cm wide	© Chris Tucker


Quartz on Epidote, 3.5cm wide	© Chris Tucker


Quartz, 5.5cm wide	© Chris Tucker


Quartz & Epidote, 4cm tall	© Chris Tucker


Quartz & Epidote, 3.5cm wide	© Chris Tucker

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Apache Co., Carrizo Mts (Carrizo Range), Chinle District, Chinle area


Quartz v. petrified wood, ~41cm	© Joseph A. Freilich, LLC

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Cochise Co., Huachuca Mts, Hartford District (Huachuca Mountains District), Ash Canyon, Huachuca placers (Old Timer placers)


Quartz, 2cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Cochise Co., Mule Mts, Warren District, Bisbee


Quartz on Chrysocolla 3.5cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Gila Co., Dripping Spring Mts, Banner District, Hayden area, Chilito, Keystone Gulch, Kullman-McCool group), Lee Reagan prospects; Lee Reagan property; Reagan claims (Regan/Reagan Camp prospects; Finch Mine (Barking Spider Mine)


Quartz on Wulfenite, 2cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz on Wulfenite, 5.3cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz on Wulfenite, 5.7cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz on Wulfenite, 5.3cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Technically speaking the specimens pictured above are really more Wulfenite specimens than quartz specimens and appear here only because the Wulfenite crystals from this locality are commonly coated with drusy quartz. These are rather rare creatures and in spite of having lived and collected in California and Arizona most of my life, I have never managed to get a good one.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Gila Co., Globe-Miami District


Quartz v. "gem chrysocolla" 5.7cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, Chrysocolla & Malachite, 4.9cm	© Rob Lavinsky

The piece of gem chrysocolla pictured on the left above would not look quite like that when the miner collected it. The high spots on the specimen have been polished up a bit and that is what makes them shine. If you look down in the valleys between the high spots you can see what was the natural luster of the specimen when it was collected. "Gem Chrysocolla" is almost entirely the chalcedony variety of quartz with just enough Chrysocolla in it to give it a pleasing blue color. Pure Chrysocolla is a pretty blue color, but on exposure it tends to crack and fall apart, but "gem chrysocolla" on the other hand is almost pure chalcedony, quite hard and takes a beautiful polish and is therefore ideal for making cabochons. When just the right amount of Chrysocolla and perhaps other copper minerals are present in the chalcedony, to give it just the right amount of blue color and the right amount of translucency, the price of finished stones for jewelry can be more than $100 per carat. So if you can get a piece of good gem chrysocolla that weighs a kilogram it has the potential of cutting perhaps 1000 carats of finished stones which could sell for $100,000. Thats not bad for a small rock that a miner might bend over and pick out of a blast pile in a large open pit copper mine. At the right time you could probably fill us the back end of a pick up truck in an hour or two and drive off into the sunset and never work another day the rest of your life.
[Rock Currier, 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Gila Co., Globe-Miami District, Globe Hills District, Globe Hills, Globe


Quartz on Chrysocolla, 8.9cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz on Calcite & Malachite, 11.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Gila Co., Globe-Miami District, Miami-Inspiration District, Inspiration, Miami-Inspiration deposit, Inspiration Mine, Live Oak pit (Keystone; Joe Bush; Ox Hide; Thornton; Red Hill; Cyprus Miami)


Quartz with Chrysocolla, 12.4cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz & Chrysocolla on Malachite, 4.8cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz with Chrysocolla, 7.3cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz with Chrysocolla, 4.7cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. chalcedony & chrysocolla, 11.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Drusy quartz growing on Chrysocolla and chalcedony colored blue by chrysocolla has been found at number of copper mines, but perhaps the most impressive locality for this kind of item is Inspiration mine in the Globe-Miami District. The color alone makes many collectors drool uncontrollably and when you add to this the gem value of good quality "gem chrysocolla" and you can come up with some very expensive specimens/cutting rough. Often these specimens are also associate with Malachite ond sometimes other Back on the 1950's the good grade gem Chrysocolla from the Live Oak pit was going for about $100 per pound. Today it can bring several thousand dollars a pound for specimens with just the right color and translucency. Good grade cabochons of "gem chris", can bring prices of $100 per carat. The Taiwanese Chinese are particularly attracted to this material. I have a number of good specimens of this material in my collection, including drusy specimens, but have thus far resisted the temptation of selling them for fear that their fate is most likely the cutters wheel.
[Rock Currier, 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Gila Co., Payson District (Green Valley District), Payson, Payson area


3cm tall Quartz xl on matrix	© Adam Harper

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Graham Co., Aravaipa District, Santa Teresa Mts.


Quartz, 8.6cm tall	© Dan & Diana Weinrich Minerals

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Graham Co., Aravaipa District, Santa Teresa Mts, Klondyke, en Strike Mine (Tenstrike Mine; Ten Strike group; Stone and Dempsey; Klondyke Mining Co.; Lone Pine Lead; Cassidy and Rubal)


Fluorite on Quartz, 7cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Graham Co., San Carlos Indian Reservation, Santa Teresa Mts, Stanley District, Quartzite Mountain Garnets), Quartzite Mountain, (Stanley Butte [nearby]


Quartz & Andradite, 5.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz & Andradite, 7.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 11cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

The location of Stanley Buttes has been know to collectors for generations and and is much better know for its good specimens of yellow/brown/green specimens of Andradite garnet specimens. In the early days field collectors collected there pretty much as they pleased but as time passed the reservation Indians started started patrolling the borders of their reservation and kicking field collectors out. Today it is considered off limits to field collectors. Thought specimens of andradite garnets predominate at the locality, some few good specimens of quartz and quartz associated with andradite are produced. The combination specimens of quartz and andradite are really much nicer and more sought after than just the specimens of andradite without associated quartz crystals.
[Rock Currier, 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Greenlee Co., Shannon Mts, Copper Mountain District (Clifton-Morenci District), Clifton, San Francisco River area


Quartz druse on chalcedony after cleaning, 13cm wide	©


Quartz druse on chalcedony, before cleaning	©

The cleaning process in a case like this is fairly straight forward. High pressure water to clean off as much dirt as possible and then immersing the specimen in a solution of "iron out" or oxalic acid will remove any remaining "iron" staining. For a more complete understanding of how to clean quartz and quartz family specimens see [www.mindat.org]
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arizona, La Paz Co., Colorado River Indian Reservation, Dome Rock Mts, La Paz District (Weaver District), Goodman vein, Goodman Mine group, Gold Belt Mine


Quartz, 3.1cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Arizona, La Paz Co., Dome Rock Mts, Middle Camp-Oro Fino District, Crystal Caverns claim; Big Bertha Extension Mine), Veta Grande claim; Big Bertha Mine (Veta Grande Mine


Quartz & Hematite, 6.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

This locality is almost with in a stones throw of the little desert community of Quartzite. During most of the year the place is nearly abandoned and the few locals that live there survive on the few cars that pull off the interstate to get gas or perhaps some hamburgers. In February, the snow birds descend on the area and the populations swells to tens of thousands with camp trailers and mobile homes creating a traffic jam on the single little main street that runs through the little town. They also carpet the desert for miles around to enjoy the giant out door swap meet and Rockhound pow wow. I don't think this tiny mine has produced a good specimen of quartz and hematite in the last 50 years. It has been beaten to death by field collectors for generations. About 50 years ago you could go there and break up quartz boulders on the dump, and if you were lucky you might find a small specimen of bladed hematite and quartz but you had to be real lucky, and even then I never was able to get one as good at the one pictured here nor did I know anyone who ever found anything that good. Some of the old field collectors in Arizona and southern California might have a nice specimen from there that they collected generations ago, but few of them had any as good at the one pictured. The mine also produced specimens of micro Zunyite crystals frozen in matrix.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arizona, La Paz Co., Plomosa Mts, Plomosa District, Bouse


Quartz, 3.5cm	©

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Maricopa Co., Mazatzal Mts, Four Peaks, Four Peaks Amethyst Mine (Arizona Amethyst Mine)


Quartz v. amethyst, 2.5cm wide	© 2002 John H. Betts


Quartz, 3cm wide	© 2002 John H. Betts


Quartz v. amethyst, 15cm wide	© 2002 John H. Betts

This locality is better know for its faceting grade amethyst than the quartz specimens it produces. If the cost of mining were not so high this locality might be a better know amethyst and quartz producing locality than it is.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Maricopa Co., Saddle Mountain


Quartz v. chalcedony, 2cm	© 2004 Peter Cristofono


Quartz v. chalcedony, 2.7cm wide	© 2004 Peter Cristofono


Quartz v. chalcedony, 2.2cm wide	© 2004 Peter Cristofono


Quartz v. chalcedony, 3.3cm wide	© 2007 Peter Cristofono


Quartz v. chalcedony, 5cm wide	© 2004 Peter Cristofono

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Maricopa Co., Verde Mts, Cave Creek District


Jasper & Hematite 5cm wide	© 2007 Peter Cristofono

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Navajo Co., Holbrook


Quartz v. petrified wood, 10.1cm wide	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. petrified wood, 12cm wide	© John Betts

There is a region near Holbrook, Arizona that is world famous for its petrified wood. In 1906 a portion of this area was set aside as a National Monument and upgraded to a national park in 1962. It is destination that every mineral collector and rockbound should visit. Big colorfully long and chunks of petrified wood litter the surface in many places and though you might not want to put one in your collection you can't help but be impressed. The petrified wood from this locality can vary in color, but is is famous for its red color with occasional spots of pale green and blue. Some of the logs are huge and can reach two meters in diameter. On some of the ranches that surround the park also have abundant deposits of petrified wood on them but over the years the more easily accessible material has been collected and sold. The most highly desired pieces of wood show the original round shape of the tree trunk or limb and when cut and polished have minimal defects in terms of cracks or holes.The more colorful the better. Some logs have produced beautiful "rounds" of more than a meter in diameter and have been sold for more than $10,000 each. I have been told that some of the logs on the privately owned ranches are so big that they can't be moved and that to be cut, they would have to have a big wire saw built on the sight to cut them down into manageable sizes. Some wonderful tables and desk tops have been made from some of these.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Navajo Co., Holbrook District, Joseph City


Quartz v. petrified wood, 5cm wide	© 2008 Peter Cristofono

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Navajo Co., Woodruff


Quartz v. petrified wood, 9cm wide	© Danny Jones

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Pinal Co., Mineral Creek District (Ray District), Hot Tamale Peak, Ray, Ray Mine


Quartz on Chrysocolla, 5.6cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz on Chrysocolla, 6.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz on Chrysocolla on Malachite, 4cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz on Chrysocolla, 4.2cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. agate on chrysocolla, 2.5cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v.agate, ~4cm	© Wright's Rock Shop

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Pinal Co., Galiuro Mts, Bunker Hill District (Copper Creek District), Copper Creek (Copper Creek Canyon), Copper Creek


Quartz xls with oriented twins, ~3cm wide	©

A few Japan law quartz twins were collected here, but they never looked like very much. The one pictured here with its probably oriented twins may the the champion of all the specimens collected at the locality.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Pinal Co., Mineral Mountain District, Mineral Mountain area


Quartz v. amethyst, ~2.5cm wide	© Adam Harper

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Santa Cruz Co., Patagonia Mts, Patagonia District, Duquesne (Washington Camp)


Quartz v. amethyst 11.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz xls with twin, 5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz twin, 3cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 5.7cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz twins, 5.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz & Calcite ~7.5cm wide	©


Quartz twin ~20cm wide	©


Quartz v. amethyst, 3.5cm	© Dan Weinrich


Quartz twins, 6.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Washington Camp is now a ghost down in southern Arizona and in 1920, probably its high point, had a population of about 5000 people with their economy bases on mining in the area. Since the early 50s the locality has been know to collectors for the broad array of quartz specimens that it produced, many of them from underground. It is probably best know for specimens of Quartz Japan law twins found there, some of them with "ears" as much as 20 cm and perhaps even more. In the early days the locals did know know about Japan law twinning in quartz and all the specimens were more or less equal. Dick Bideaux of Tucson told the story that once when he and his father were visiting the camp, they went into the one little general store where the owner/operator George Gerard was selling quartz specimens from the mine for $2 per pound. Even as a young age, Dick knew what Japan law twins were and they gleefully went thorough his inventory of quartz specimens and picked out all the good ones with Japan law twins. Later George Gerard closed his little general store, moved to Yuma Arizona and became a wholesale mineral dealer, mostly selling flats of cheap tourist rocks to rock shops. Some of the Quartz Japan law twins show quartz crystals twinned multiple times and make for very interesting specimens.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Santa Cruz Co., Scepter Hill


Quartz scepter, 2.7cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Yavapai Co.


Quartz after halite, 4cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Yavapai Co., Bradshaw Mts (Bradshaw Range), Piedmont Mine (Congress West Mine; West Congress Mine; Copper Creek Mine; Copper Queen claims; Bloody Basin Mineral Development Co. property)


Quartz v. chrysocolla v. gem silica, 7.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Yavapai Co., Bradshaw Mts (Bradshaw Range), Pine Grove District, Crown King, Lane Mountain, Fat Jack Mine


Quartz v. amethyst scepter, 3.0cm	© 2002 John H. Betts


Quartz v. amethyst scepter, 10.9cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Yavapai Co., Date Creek Mts, Date Creek quartz crystal locality


Quartz v. amethyst scepters, 5.3cm wide	© Dan Weinrich


Quartz v. amethyst scepters, 7.5cm	© Dan Weinrich

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Yavapai Co., Eureka District, Bagdad


Quartz on Chrysocolla, 8.8cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Arizona, Yavapai Co., New River Station area, Agua Fria River


Quartz v. chalcedony after anhydrite, 5.8cm tall	© Rizzo

Quartz
Arkansas

Most of the quartz specimens from Arkansas are found in the Ouachita Mountains some of which extend into Oklahoma and some good quartz specimens are found in Oklahoma, but they are not nearly as well known as those from Arkansas. Though the quartz crystals from these localities have been known for more than 100 years it was not till the advent of World War II and the need for quartz radio oscillator plates of untwinned quartz for the control of radio frequencies that the area was heavily investigated for untwinned quartz crystals. Some were produced but the main source of this type of quartz was found in Brazil and hundreds of tons of Brazilian quartz were imported for this purpose and also used to build the US national strategic stock pile of quartz. This stock pile has recently been sold off because suitable quartz can now be grown in large stainless steel autoclaves more economically. The Arkansas deposits occur throughout the thick, deformed Paleozoic shales, sandstones, and cherts exposed along the central belt of the Ouachita Mountains. Steeply dipping fractures closely related to the major folds control the deposition of most quartz. Most of the crystals are transparent only at their tips and grade into translucent to white quartz near their bases. There are also localities for quartz crystals in Hot Spring, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Sevier and, Yell counties. In Mount Ida (Montgomery County), Ocus Stanley began the modern mining of quartz in 1930 and this is generally considered to be the heart of the quartz country. Ocus Stanely was sort of considered to be the grandfather of quartz specimen dealers in Arkansas.

Most of the quartz crystals found in Arkansas are rather simple hexagonal prismatic quartz with few associated minerals. Sometimes the quartz crystals from there have green inclusions of chlorite group minerals that can produce "green" quartz and quartz crystals with striking green phantoms. Some calcite has been found as well as specimens with little rough crystals of Ankerite. Some quartz specimens can reach more than a meter in diameter and the maximum crystals size may approach a meter in length, but the best specimens are usually much smaller. A few striding specimens exhibiting Japan law twinning have been found and one spectacular specimen recently on display at Tucson may have sold in the six figure range. Probably the finest quartz from Arkansas have been found at the McEarl mine.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arkansas, Garland Co.


Irradiated smoky Quartz, 28cm wide	© 1

The specimen of smoky quartz above is not a natural specimen. It has been exposed to gamma rays and turned a dark smoky black. A certain small percentage of Arkansas quartz specimens is sent to companies that sterilize food by the use of cobalt 60 generated gamma rays to turn the quartz from white to almost a black. Most of the time not very good specimens of quartz is used for this purpose, because collectors frown on treated and "enhanced" specimens and the better grade specimens will bring more in their natural state. A small amount of aluminium in the structure of the quartz that sometimes replaces a small percentage of silicon in the structure allow the radiation to create the smoky color in quartz. The radiation treatment can be controlled to give any degree of smoky color desired but this is rarely done, and the quartz that is treated just gets "blasted" and turned almost black in color.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arkansas, Garland Co., Blue Springs, McEarl Mine


Quartz, 5.2cm wide	© Joseph A. Freilich

In the 1990s a find of quartz at this locality produced some specimens that many consider to be the worlds best specimen quartz. The crystals were long and prismatic, transparent and exceptionally shiny. Often the striations on the prism faces were spaced just so that they seem to act as diffraction gratings and create subtle rainbow colors along the length of the prisms. Crystals up to about 30 cm were found and brought thousands of dollars each. Collectors as well as the new age people went nuts over these things. I hope some day we may be able to show good pictures of some of these specimens rather tan the nice but comparatively rather sad little specimens shown here.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arkansas, Garland Co., Blue Springs, Miller Mountain Mine (New Coleman Mine; Jimmy Coleman Mine)


Quartz, 8cm tall	© Bruce T. Mitchell


Quartz, uncleaned, 2.8cm	© 2007 Peter Cristofono

I have visited some of these mines, but really don't know enough about them to do justice describing them and the specimens that come from them. I hope that some real Arkansas quartz guy will step up and help with the descriptions of the various Arkansas quartz localities that we talk about here.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arkansas, Garland Co., Crystal Mountain, Monte Cristo Mines


Quartz, 12.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Arkansas, Garland Co., Jessieville, East Coleman Mine (Ron Coleman Mine; Old Coleman Mine; West Chance; Dierks No. 4; Blocker Lead; Geomex)


Quartz, 12.1cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 17.4cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz cluster, 17.6cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 19.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 15.6cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz cluster ~48cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Arkansas, Garland Co., Crystal Springs


Quartz, 15cm wide	© 2002 John H. Betts


Quartz, 10.7cm wide	© 2002 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Arkansas, Hot Spring Co.


Quartz, 10.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 7.6cm wide	© 2003 John H. Betts


Quartz, 8cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 7.0cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 8.3cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 9.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 7.0cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz with phantoms, 6.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 7.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 7cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Arkansas, Montgomery Co., Mt Ida


Quartz, 2cm wide	© 2000 John H. Betts


Quartz, 5cm wide	© 2000 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Arkansas, Montgomery Co., Mt Ida, Blue Phantom Mine


Quartz, 6.8cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Arkansas, Montgomery Co., Mt Ida, Collier Creek Mine


© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 8cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Arkansas, Montgomery Co., Mt Ida, Ocus Stanley's Mine


Quartz, 17cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Arkansas, Pulaski Co., Jeffrey, Jeffrey Quarry


Quartz, 3cm wide	© Joseph A. Freilich


Quartz, 3.5cm wide	© 2003 John H. Betts


Quartz, 10.1cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Few quartz localities in Arkansas produce specimens as distinctive as those from the Jeffrey Quarry. They are very distinctive clusters of tiny long prismatic crystals that were always popular with collectors. The locality has been inactive for many years now.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Arkansas, Saline Co., Paron


Quartz, 6.6cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 3.3cm tall	© 2003 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
California, Alameda Co., Berkeley, Spruce Street Thunder Egg Locality


Quartz v. chalcedony thunder egg, 7cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
California, Butte Co., Paradise


Quartz, 11cm tall	© 2003 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
California, Calaveras Co., New Melones Dam


Quartz & Axinite, 6cm tall	© 2005 Jake Harper

Quartz
USA
California, El Dorado Co., Georgetown District


Doubly terminated Quartz, 6cm	© 2005 Jake Harper


Doubly terminated Quartz, 6.3cm wide	© 2005 Jake Harper

Quartz
USA
California, El Dorado Co., Shingle Springs Mine (Docs Mine)


Quartz, 3.2cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 8.7cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 3.1cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
California, Fresno Co., Dinkey Creek Mine


Quartz v. smoky, 7.4cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. smoky, 7.3cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
California, Inyo Co., Bishop, Mount Morgan, Pine Creek Mine


Quartz cast, 5.8cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz cast, 15.5cm wide	© Russell G. Rizzo


Quartz cast ~7cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
California, Inyo Co., Deep Spring Valley Area, Crystal Hill


Quartz, 8cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
California, Inyo Co., Saline Valley


Quartz xls. with twin, ~7cm wide	©


Quartz xls with twin, !7cm wide	©


Quartz xls with twin, ~12cm wide	©


Quartz xls with twins, ~8cm wide	©


Quartz crystals with twins, ~12cm wide	©


Quartz xls with twin ~10cm wide	©


Quartz v. smoky, 6.3cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 5.6cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. smoky, 9.5cm wide	© Russell G. Rizzo

There are two quartz localities in the Saline valley. The one that produces the Japan law twins is really not down in the valley, but located high up in the the north end of Nelson range of mountains that bracket the Saline valley on its south end. They were found in a little copper prospect by Robert Bartsch of Pasadena California and with the help of Dr. Gary Novak the bulk of the fine specimens were collected. The locality was a skarn deposit that also produces some not very remarkable epidote and garnet specimens. The locality was very steep and down off the crest of the mountain. A wooden platform had to be built so that a few holes for explosives could be drilled. One of the better specimens had two in echelon six inch twins was destroyed during the cleaning process. Fewer than 50 good specimens were collected. The other Saline valley quartz locality produces nice smoky quartz crystals, though mostly as single crystals. This locality is located toward the north end of the valley a bit west of the road. Many of the crystals exhibit good left and right handedness and were abundant enough that several hundred pair were collected and sold to a mineral of the month club. The largest crystal from the find was about 20 cm, but as usual, the better specimens were substantially smaller.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
California, Lassen Co., Petersen Mountain (Hallelujah Junction), Crystal Tips No. 2 pit


Quartz v. amethyst scepter, 4.2cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz scepter, 7.2cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. ame. scepter, 10.7cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst scepter, 7.2cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Petersen Mountain actually straddles the state line between California and Nevada and specimens have been found in both states. In the Quartz, USA article that includes Nevada, more pictures are shown. The locality has been dug by generations of collectors and recently in a more organized manner by claim holders. The locality is often called Hallelujah Junction after a wide spot in the road that used to be the location of a small general store. The locality is famous for the fine quartz scepters that are found at the locality, some of which are smoky and some of which are of amethyst.
[Rock Currier, 2009]

Quartz
USA
California, Mariposa Co., Hornitos


Quartz, 14.3cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
California, Mariposa Co., Whitlock District, Colorado, Colorado Mine (Colorado Quartz Mine)


Quartz, 4cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
California, Napa Co., Knoxville


Quartz v. chalcedony v. Myrickite, ~15cm wide	©

Myrickite is a variety of chalcedony that contains Cinnabar which give it a red color. Some of this material can be cut into cabochons that are very pretty. The piece shown here is not exceptional to any degree. The name comes from Myrick Spring, in San Bernardino Co., California where it was first found.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
California, Nevada Co., California Placer


Quartz v. petrified wood, 15cm wide	© Danny Jones

Quartz
USA
California, Plumas Co.


Quartz, Schorl & Muscovite, 5.1cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, Schorl & Muscovite, 5.1cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
California, Riverside Co., Cahuilla District


Quartz scepters, 4cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz & Muscovite, 9.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
California, Riverside Co., Cahuilla District, Bautista Canyon, Crown Jewel Mine


Quartz & Muscovite, 3.9cm tall	© 2006 SLR


Quartz & Muscovite, 8.6cm tall	© 2001 SLR

Quartz
USA
California, Riverside Co., Cahuilla District, Cahuilla Mountain (Coahuila), Fano Mine (Fano-Simmons; Simmons; Little Blue; Big Pink)


Quartz on Albite, 4.9cm tall	© Dan & Diana Weinrich

Quartz
USA
California, Riverside Co., Cahuilla District, Little Cahuilla Mountain, Audrey Lynn Mine


Quartz, citrine/smoly, 11.4cm tall	© 2003 SLR


Quartz, Albite & Mica, 12.7cm tall	© 2004 SLR


Smoky Quartz, 9.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz on Dravite, 9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
California, Riverside Co., USG Wollastonite Mine


Quartz crystals, 16cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
California, San Bernardino Co., Calico District


Quartz v. chalcedony desert rose, 4.6cm tall	© The-Vug.com

This type of desert rose is found in a number of localities across the south west. Frequently they are white to pink in color after cleaning and frequently fluoresce a nice green color under UV light.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
California, San Bernardino Co., Kingston District, Beck Deposits (Kingston Iron Deposit; Kingston Range; Iron Gossam; Beck Mine)


Quartz v. amethyst, 5.4cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 4.6cm	© Russell G. Rizzo

Quartz
USA
California, San Bernardino Co., Kingston Range, Purple Heart Mine


Quartz v. amethyst, 9.7cm wide	© 2009 EMC

These specimens look pretty good, but these are exceptional for the locality and most of the specimens the locality has produced are not nearly this good and you usually have to work very hard for what you get. Compared to the tons of better amethyst specimens that are produced annually from the basalts of Roi Grande do Sul, these specimens represent a good recreational outing with lots of hard work for the people who collected them. The localities are represented by some shallow surface workings and probably not be dignified with the name of Mine.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
California San Bernardino Co., Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center - Twentynine Palms, Bullion Mts (Bullion Range)


Agate, cut and polished ~3.8cm wide	© Puckdt

The is on the big US. Marine core training facility near 29 Palms, California. The Bullion Mountains are entirely within the Marine core training base. The loclaiyt is in a small side canyon on the north side of the range that does not have a name. The locality has been closed for many years. Back in the 1950s the locality was sometimes open on Saturdays to collectors. The mountains are Miocine volcanics.
[Jim Puckett 2012}

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Jacumba District, Mt. Tule, Pack Rat Mine


Quartz, Spessartine on Albite, 10.4cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz & Mica on Albite, 7.8cm wide	© 2003 SLR

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Mesa Grande District, Gem Hill, Himalaya Mine (Himalaya pegmatite; Himalaya dikes)


Quartz on Microcline, 7.8cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz & Elbaite, 5.6cm wide	© Eric Graff


Quartz, citrine/smoky, 19.4cm tall	© 2004 SLR

The Himalaya Pegmatite is well known to collectors for the fine pink and green doubly terminated tourmaline crystals that is produces. Good matrix specimens are rare and they almost always consist of tourmaline crystals growing on quartz. The pegmatite is not known for its quartz crystals, but it has produced some good specimens. The specimens pictured here are not particularly outstanding.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Pala District, Chief Mountain, Elizabeth R. Mine


Quartz, 3.8cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 20.0cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Pala District, Chief Mountain, Pala Chief Mine (MS 6452)


Quartz, 19 cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 13.3cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

The Pala Chief mine is better know for its specimens of kunzite but it has produced some pretty good quartz specimens and the ones shown here are quite fine. They are not abundant and probably fewer than fifty of this quality have been found.
[Rock Currier 209]

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Pala District, Hiriart Mountain (Heriart; Heriot; Hiriat Hill), Dawson Prospect


Quartz, 26cm tall	© 2003 SLR

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Pala District, Hiriart Mountain (Heriart; Heriot; Hiriat Hill), Katerina Mine (Katrina; Catherin; Caterina)


Quartz on Albite, 7.8cm tall	© Russell G. Rizzo

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Pala District, Hiriart Mountain (Heriart; Heriot; Hiriat Hill), White Queen Mine


Montmorillonite in Quartz, 14.5cm tall	© Russell G. Rizzo


Montmorillonite in Quartz, 12.7cm wide	© 2003 SLR


Montmorillonite in Quartz, tallest=18.2cm tall	© 2003 SLR


Montmorillonite in Quartz, 5.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

This mine has produced a good quantity of large quartz crystals, most of which have inclusions of pink Montmorillonite. Their virtue is perhaps best displayed when these crystals are cut open and polished. Norm Dawson who operated the mine for many years had a yard full of the crystals. He found that cutting them in half and polishing them provided more financially rewarding than just selling the natural crystals. The mine is much better know for the wonderful morganite Beryl specimens that it produces.
[Rock Currier, 2009]

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Pala District, Tourmaline Queen Mountain (Pala; Queen), Stewart Mine (MS 6162; Stewart Lithia)


Quartz on lepidolite on Albite, ~11cm wide	©


Elbaite on Quartz, 6cm tall	© 2005 SLR

The pegmatite is better know for its pink tourmalines and massive lepidolite shot through with tiny pink tourmaline than it is for its quartz specimens. It did produce a few pleasant specimens like this one but most of the pockets encountered in the mine especially the ones that produced pink tourmaline were pretty badly churned and crushed and good terminated specimens were rather rare.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Pala District, Tourmaline Queen Mountain (Pala; Queen), Tourmaline King Mine (MS 4500; MS 4926; Gem)


Quartz, 4.2cm tall	© 2005 SLR

The Tourmaline King mine produce a few specimen early in the 20th Century but after an initial find near the surface extensive mining on deeper levels produce nothing but blank granite. Specimens of any kind from this locality are rare.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Pala District, Tourmaline Queen Mountain (Pala; Queen), Tourmaline Queen Mine (MS 6458; Tourmaline Queen No. 3)


Quartz & Elbaite, 12cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

The Tourmaline Queen mine has a long history of producing good specimens of tourmaline. In the 1972 a wonderful find of "blue cap" tourmalines were found, some of them growing with quartz crystals. Though not particularly know for its quartz specimens it did produce some respectable specimens.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Ramona District, Hercules Mine (Hercules Prospect; Hercules Group; Beryl Claim)


Smoky Quartz point, 9cm tall	© 2005 SLR

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Ramona District, Little Three Mine (Little 3)


Smoky Quartz, 9.3cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Smoky Quartz, 9.4cm tall	© 2003 SLR


Smoky Quartz on Albite, 5.7cm	© Rob Lavinsky

The little three mine like all of the pegmatites in San Diego County, did produce some quartz crystals. Some of them are quite nice if not spectacular. The mine is better know for its specimens of Spessartine garnets.
[Rock Currier2009]

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Warner Springs District, Carmelita Mine (MS 6130; Blue Gem; French Pete; Elinor; Crest Gem)


Smoky quartz point, 11.2cm tall	© 2004 SLR


Quartz, center piece 4.1cm tall	© 2006 SLR

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Warner Springs District, Chihuahua Valley, Blue Lady Mine (Blue Tourmaline Claim; San Diego Group; Blue Bell Deposit)


Smoky Quartz & Schorl, 6.4cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Warner Springs District, Cryo-Genie Mine (Cindy B-Cryogenie; Lost Valley Truck Trail Prospect)


Quartz & Elbaite, 10.1cm wide	© 2005 SLR


Quartz, 9.3cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz & Tourmaline, 1.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

A pegmatite that has been worked on and off for years. In its most recent incarnation Bart Cannon of Seattle, Washington put a claim on it and eventually the claim fell into the hands of the Gochenour family and they worked the mine for several years and found a fine pocket of pink torumaline at least one of which is proudly displayed in the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History. It did produce some few good quartz specimens, but nothing that would make a bishop kick a hole in a stained glass window.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
California, San Diego Co., Warner Springs District, Chihuahua Valley, Carmelita Mine (Big Spring mine; Blue Gem claim; Crest Gem mine; Elinor deposit; Elinor mine; Estudillo mine; French Pete mine; MS 6130; Peter Cabat mine)


Citrine quartz point, 11.2cm tall	© 2004 SLR


Quartz, center crystal 4.1cm tall	© 2006 SLR


Quartz, 2.4cm	© g.slak 2009

The Carmelita mine, sometimes referred to as the 'French Pete', was discovered on April 29th, 1907 by John Peter Labat (Jean Pierre Labat). The deposit is a large rare-earth-element pegmatite that contains pockets of gemstones including tourmaline, beryl and quartz. Labat developed several shallow interconnecting underground workings searching for gem tourmaline, the primary mineral of economic importance at the mine. According to available records, original mining operations had ceased sometime around 1915. The deposit was later worked by several parties from the early 1930's up until the late 1980's, although most of the specimens recovered prior to the early 1990's weren't properly documented, and few labels exist in old collections. Quartz is by far the most common pocket mineral found at the mine, but extremely well formed specimens of relatively rare. Many of the quartz crystals are associated with matrices of cleavelandite and microcline, and sometimes studded or included with colored tourmaline or other associations such as aquamarine, morganite and spessartine. The color of the quartz can range from a soft white to gray, yellow to deep brown, and occasionally jet black. Individual crystal points weighing up to 20kg have been found, but most of the crystals recovered are smaller and extremely well formed. Clear quartz as rough has been utilized for lapidary purposes, and some collections include examples of faceted stones, cabochons and carvings.
[Scott Ritchie 2011]

Quartz var. chalcedony var. Morgan Hill Jasper or Poppy Jasper
USA
California, Santa Clara Co., Paradise Valley, Morgan Hill


4cm cabochon of Morgan Hill jasper	© minresco.com


30 cm block of Morgan Hill jasper	© minresco.com


Polished Morgan Hill jasper ~6cm wide	© minresco.com


Rough Morgan Hill jasper ~10cm wide	© minresco.com


Morgan Hill jasper ~8cm tall	©


~6cm sphere of Morgan Hill jasper	© Paul J. Broyles 2010

Prompted by a friend, who owned a rock shop, digging Morgan Hill orbicular jasper is how we originally got started in the mineral business. While still in high school, in 1957, Sharon and I would collect jasper to provide the financing for our teenage needs. But, it soon became more than that, as we purchased a 24" saw and took out ads in Lapidary Journal to market the stone. We expanded our search for locations to dig at and located at least 6 different spots ranging over a distance of perhaps 10 miles. The ranchers were fairly friendly at that time and it wasn't too hard to get permission to dig, and we always had small gifts of appreciation for them. There were several off limits locations that were too tempting for a teenager to resist, but those were misadventures that shouldn't be mentioned here, though they make great stories. We gradually shifted our interests from lapidary to minerals but lapidary material, primarily several tons of poppy jasper, funded a large part of my first college years.

50+ years have passed and we have a friend that owns property in Morgan Hill. Her husband, a noted mineral collector, has passed. He was never interested in jasper, so he didn't pay much attention the small pieces found in the horse coral. Two years ago, she brought in a backhoe and mined about a ton of material, which she offered at the CA Fed Show. So, there is recent material on the market that has been legally obtained. Unfortunately, the lady was plagued with problems associated with everyone involved, from the diggers to distribution and buyers. With these kinds of problems and the possibility of lawsuits, it's easy to see why people who have material on their property are reluctant, or even hostile, towards giving permission to dig.

Some samples of the types of orbicular jasper that we found are shown in the attached images. The first is an 80lb memento those "good old days" that I could never bring myself to sell. The orbs are about 1" in diameter. The others are from different locations, but not representative of all the places that we collected. Someone mentioned Anderson Dam, in this thread, and even though I have spent weeks searching there I have never found true orbicular jasper. The last image is of a stone, that did come from Anderson that we marketed back then as Ojo Stone. This is not orbicular jasper, but a silicified claystone breccia.
[Gene Cisneros 2010]

Click here to view Quartz, Alabama to California here for Quartz from Colorado to Montana here for Quartz from Nebraska to Oklahoma here for Quartz, Oregon to Wyoming, here for Best Minerals Quartz and here for Best Minerals A to Z and here for Fast Navigation of completed Best Minerals articles.

Quartz, USA, Nebraska to Wyoming (no replies)

Rock Currier — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:55:39 +0000

Ran out of space in this field and broke this section down into Quartz, Nebraska to Oklahoma and Quartz Oregon to Wyoming.

Quartz by country - Quick Navigation (no replies)

Rock Currier — Fri, 29 May 2009 00:41:26 +0000

To find the Barytes from the country you are looking for, click on the country link below.

All of these are under Construction except those listed in Green. Green colored entries have had at least their first drafts finished. The rest are just place holders till someone volunteers to take them in hand and bring the image and data into the article.

Quartz, Afghanistan
Quartz, Angola
Quartz, Antarctica
Quartz, Argentina
Quartz, Australia
Quartz, Austria
Quartz, Belgium
Quartz, Bolivia
Quartz, Brazil, Minas Gerais
Quartz from Brazil, excluding Minas Gerais
Quartz, Bulgaria
Quartz, Burma
Quartz, Canada
Quartz, Chile
Quartz, China
Quartz, Colombia
Quartz, Congo, the Democratic Republic of
Quartz, Congo, Republic of (Brazzaville)
Quartz, Czech Republic
Quartz, Dominican Republic
Quartz, Egypt
Quartz, Ethiopia
Quartz, France
Quartz, Germany
Quartz, Greece
Quartz, Hungary
Quartz, Iceland
Quartz, India
Quartz, Iran
Quartz, Ireland
Quartz, Israel
Quartz, Italy
Quartz, Japan
Quartz, Kazakhstan
Quartz, Kenya
Quartz, Kosovo
Quartz, Madagascar
Quartz, Malawi
Quartz, Mali
Quartz, Mexico
Quartz, Morocco
Quartz, Namibia
Quartz, Nepal
Quartz, Netherlands
Quartz, New Zeland
Quartz, North Korea
Quartz, Norway
Quartz, Pakistan
Quartz, Paraguay
Quartz, Peru
Quartz, Poland
Quartz, Portugal
Quartz, Romania
Quartz, Russia
Quartz, Slovakia
Quartz, Slovenia
Quartz, Spain
Quartz, South Africa, Republic of
Quartz, South Korea
Quartz, Sweden
Quartz, Switzerland
Quartz, United Kingdom (UK)
Quartz, USA, Alabama through California
Quartz, USA, Colorado through Montana California
Quartz, USA, Nebraska to Wyoming
Quartz, Uruguay
Quartz, Zambia

Quartz, Australia (124 replies)

Ralph Bottrill — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:23:19 +0000

Click here to view Best Minerals Quartz and here for Best Minerals A to Z and here for Fast Navigation of completed Best Minerals articles.

Can you help make this a better article?

Quartz - Australia
SiO₂ trigonal

Here will go the best quartz pictures that we have from Australia and some general comments about the quartz specimens from Australia.There are localities out there with fine specimens that are not even mentioned on mindat. Also in some instances there are sometimes pictures on mindat, of specimens from a locality, but they were so ratty that I did not include them here, but there may also be really good specimens from there that we should talk about in this article.

This article will focus on crystallized quartz; chalcedony and other micro- and crystalline varieties like agate and chrysoprase are also prolific and may be best served with a separate page.

Any comments or corrections are also welcome.


Smoky Quartz 7cm tall, Mooralla, Victoria, Australia,	© Greg Andrew

Australia
New South Wales, Clive Co., Torrington


Smoky Quartz 7cm tall	© Keith Compton


Japan law Quartz twin 2.2cm longest edge	© Jon Mommers

This area is an old tin mining area with quartz and cassiterite veins in granites, mostly mined ~100 years ago and long abandoned. Good quartz crystals are peridodically found by fossickers.

Australia
New South Wales, Clive Co., Torrington, Silent Grove Mine


Smoky Quartz, 1.35cm tall	© Jon Mommers


Smoky Quartz, 165mm x 40mm	© Nigel Richardson

These were recovered from an old tin mine known as Silent Grove, the geology is representative of the granite-hosted cassiterite deposits found throughout that area. Large groups and thousands of single crystals, upto 40cm long were collected about a decade ago in a commercal operation to recover Cassiterite specimens for the collector market. Some very impressive Cassiterite clusters to 10cm and single to 4cm were recovered on smokey quartz crystals. Silent Grove was a working tin mine and from what I have been able to ascertain was first worked in the early 20th century."

I have a specimen matching this one, labeled Silent Grove Road, Torrington. A good number of these superb crystals were found in about 1998 -1999. As I heard it, contractors were digging a trench for roadworks, when luckily some collectors came by and noticed the crystals, and eventually a big dig ensued. There have been a number of other quartz outcrops producing good specimens in the area exposed following logging and road works.
[Jon Mommers 2009]

Australia
New South Wales, Clive Co., Torrington, Bismuth Dam


Citrine overgrowing Smoky Quartz, 17cm x 14cm	© Patrick Gundersen


Citrine overgrowing Smoky Quartz, 6cm x 2cm	© Patrick Gundersen

A large collapsed clay-filled vugh was discovered in a granite outcrop in the Bismuth Dam region of the Torrington area in 2012. The pocket was dug over 3 days (and a night, hence the name "Moonlight Pocket" !) and yielded over 2000 crystals. These specimens were mostly single crystals with an average size of about 5cm long and in rare cases up to 18cm long. As there has been some post-growth movement in the pocket, only a few clusters were found intact. These crystals featured an unusual growth structure featuring a central core of black Smoky Quartz and then a secondary out growth of richly coloured Citrine. In places the two quartz layers are separated by a thin layer of sericite mica causing the outer quartz layer on the stems of the crystals to have been weathered away, exposing the dark Smoky Quartz stems. The end result is an almost "Scepter" appearance. This is most noticeable in the single crystals as can be seen below:
[Patrick Gundersen 2012]

Australia
New South Wales, Drake Co., Drake, Ewingar Creek


Hematite coated Quartz 2.5cm tall	© Patrick Gundersen

Located in Ewingar State Forest, east of Drake NSW, Ewingar Creek alluvials contain large euhedral smoky quartz crystals and occasionally amethyst, many of which are water-worn to some degree. Weathered pegmatite vughs in the surrounding granite have produced well-formed smoky quartz crystals to 40 cm and smaller single crystals with secondary amethyst overgrowths.

Australia
New South Wales, Gough Co., Kingsgate district, Maurers Mine


Bismuthenite in Quartz 32cm tall	© Patrick Gundersen

Numerous good crystals, often with a smoky colour occur in the various mines in this area. We could perhaps list some of the individual mines?, eg: Maurers mine, Kingsgate district Marks & Vickery prospect, Kingsgate, Gough Co., New South Wales, Australia. Yarrow River Molybdenite (Yarrow River), Kingsgate, Gough Co., New South Wales, Australia

Australia
New South Wales, Gough Co., The Gulf, Rumsby's Pipe


Candlewax Quartz, 160mm x 60mm	© Nigel Richardson


Japan twin Quartz, 1.5 cm x 1 cm	©

I dont know much about this site but some great "candlewax" quartz crystals were found here, with white quartz overgrowing smokey crystals.
The story goes that many of the Japan twins were found growing quite thickly on plates of fluorite, the effect looking somewhat like a swarm of butterflies. [D. Sheumack]

Australia
New South Wales, Gough Co., Torrington, Torrington district


Quartz 16.5cm wide	© Greg Andrew

Torrington township is in Clive county, but part of the tin field is in the neighbouring Gough County, with similar specimens.

Australia
New South Wales, Gowen Co., Tambar Springs


Quartz on Stellerite 10.5cm wide	© Greg Andrew

This general area is well known for fine stellerite and heulandite. Early on many specimens were labeled Coonabarrabran or Gunnedah, both towns a long way from the main collecting sites. There are at least three principal sites:
Garrawilla Station, Coonabarabran district, Pottinger Co., New South Wales, Australia
Glendowda Station, Tambar Springs, Pottinger Co., New South Wales, Australia
and
Mount Mitchell Station, Tambar Springs, Pottinger Co., New South Wales, Australia.

Specimens are found in large cavities in vesicular basalts with pink stellerite and red heulandite, which sometimes have attractive globular clusters of drusy quartz overgrowing them. A large amount of material has been collected by private collectors and dealers, but most landowners present have banned collecting due to some colectors doing the wrong thing by them.

Australia
New South Wales, Hardinge Co., Copeton Dam


Quartz 8.5cm tall	© Greg Andrew

Copeton is a popular fossicking area, and an area best know mineralogically for diamonds.
[More info needed]

Australia
New South Wales, Hardinge Co., Tingha


Rutilated Quartz 2.5cm Tingha	© Jim Tzaferis

Tingha is a popular fossicking area, particularly at Stannifer, 10 km north-west of town along a bitumen road.

[More info needed]

Australia
New South Wales, Parry Co., Nundle, Hanging Rock


Quartz 2cm tall	© Keith Compton

Hanging Rock is an old gold mining village and also a rock face on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. This former gold mining town is situated about 10 km south east of Nundle. Nundle is noted as one of the best areas in the State for crystals. Some gold and other precious stones to be found include zircons, green jasper, sapphires and serpentine minerals
Nundle was established at the foot of the Great Dividing Range when gold was discovered at “The Hanging Rock” and nearby Swamp Creek in 1852. By June 1852 there were 300 diggers on the fields at Oakenville Creek.[2] . Prospectors from California, Europe and China were also digging along the Peel River and up the mountain slopes.

[More info needed]

Australia
New South Wales, Robinson Co., Cobar, Kaloogleguy, CSA Mine


Quartz 3cm wide	© Martins da Pedra

CSA Mine is an underground copper mine located in Cobar, Central Western NSW. The mine initially started in 1871 with an erratic production history until 1964, when Broken Hill South Ltd began large scale production. The mine passed to CRA in 1980 and then to Golden Shamrock Mines in 1992. The mine was closed in 1997/8 following its acquisition by Ashanti Goldfields and was reopened in 1999 by Glencore.
Since 1965 the mine has extracted substantial quantities of zinc, lead, silver and copper, but today, CSA Mine focuses on mining copper, with a silver co-product.
Good specimens are rarely seen.

References:
- Chapman, J. R. (2005): A note on some unusual primary minerals from the CSA mine, Cobar. Australian Journal of Mineralogy, 11, 73-74.

[More info needed]

Australia
New South Wales, Westmoreland Co., Oberon, Blue Hill quarry


Smoky Quartz & Muscovite 5.5cm	© mark Rheinberger


Smoky Quartz 3.6cm wide	© Mark Rheinberger


Smoky Quartz 5.5cm tall	© James Tzaferis

The smoky quartz crystals from Blue Hill are found in north/south striking quartz veins cutting metasediments of Ordovician age. The quartz veins are genetically related to fluids from nearby granitic intrusions of Carboniferous age. Although veins up to one meter wide have been found most are between a few centimeters and thirty centimeters. The crystals are retrieved from clay filled vughs which appear randomly within the veins. Gem clear crystals up to fifteen centimeters have been observed and larger ones most probably exist. Although rarer, groups or clusters of crystals have also been collected.
[Mark Rheinberger 2009]

Australia
New South Wales, Westmoreland Co., Oberon, Tarana District


Quartz var. smoky 22.5cm tall	© mark Rheinberger


Quartz, amethyst scepter 6.5cm wide	© Mark Rheinberger

Tarana lies within a narrow section on the eastern side of the Bathurst Batholith. The granites that make up the Bathurst Batholith are mostly barren of mineralization, although Feldspar, Quartz and Clays were mined in the Tarana district. Around Tarana and other areas to the south, Quartz (Amethyst, Smoky) and Feldspar crystals have been found in small gas cavity pegmatite bodies (miarolitic cavities). These cavities are difficult to locate but occur in the granite generally near the margin of the batholith.
[Mark Rheinberger 2009]]

The Smoky Quartz crystals range in size from tiny to about half a meter long (to date). Crystals often show signs of multiple episodes of growth and sometimes Amethyst forms last covering the smoky with small amethyst crystals. Amethyst scepters also occur occasionally on the smoky quartz.

Australia
New South Wales, Yancowinna Co., Broken Hill


Quartz FOV ~5cm	© R. Bottrill

Bipyramidal quartz crystals, to about 10mm diameter. Good crystals to a couple cm occurred in some Ca-Mn carbonate veins in these mines. They were usually quite glassy, but some were amethystine, and other pink (probably mostly due to overgrwing rhodochrosite).
[we need a real good image]

Australia
New South Wales, Yancowinna Co., Corona station


Quartz var. amethyst 3cm wide	© R. Bottrill


Quartz 13.5cm wide	© Greg Murray


Quartz 7cm wide	© Greg Murray

This was an important site for collecting amethyst in the 1970’s-1980’s, but I gather the site is nearly worked out now. The actual site was on a neighbouring station, accessed via Corona, but I forget the name now. The collecting focused a on a couple veins with open vughs with generally small crystals to about 1 cm. They range from pale to very deepl coloured.
Some samples are quite green , from bleaching from exposure to the sun (these contain fine inclusions of a green micaceous mineral). Other are smoky to near colourless.

Australia
Northern Territory, Harts Ranges (Hartz Ranges), Entia Valley


Quartz var. amethyst 2.5cm wide	© A.Tuma


Quartz scepter FOV 2.8cm	© Judy Rowe


amethyst reverse sceptre 3.7cm X 1.4 cm.	©


sceptre 23.9 x 13.4 x 13.3 mm	© RPellar


Sceptre 20mm tall	© Patrick Gundersen


amethyst sceptre, 40x40mm	© Patrick Gundersen


amethyst sceptre, 65x30mm	© Patrick Gundersen

This site was only found in the 1990's I think, but has become a minor classic site for sceptre crystals, though they are usually small.

Australia
Northern Territory, Harts Ranges (Hartz Ranges), Harding Springs


Quartz var. amethyst scepter 2.5cm tall	© Patrick Gundersen

Although the Entia Valley in Hart's Range, Northern Territory has already been mentioned for Scepter Quartz, the Quartz crystal bearing veins extend much further south to Harding Springs and probably beyond.

Australia
Northern Territory, Victoria-Birrindudu Basin, Wave Hill


Quartz 15cm wide	© Greg Andrew


Quartz var. amethyst 8.5cm wide	© Greg Andrew


Amethyst 12cm wide	© Costas Constantinides


Quartz var. amethyst 7cm wide Wave Hill	© Greg Andrew

Wave Hill Fossicking Area lies within Wave Hill Station (also known as Kalkarindji ). The Designated Fossicking Area is designated as FA8 on the Northern Territory Government Department of Mines and Energy maps. (http://gemfossicking.com.au/wavehill_station.html)
Gemstones found in the Wave Hill area of Kalkarindji include Prehnite, Smokey Quartz, Agate, Jasper, Amethyst, Citrine crystal and Calcite. Extensive areas around here are under lain by volcanic rocks; these basalts contain geodes which decompose and weather out over time to form hollow lava encrusted boulders with their inner surfaces encrusted with crystals. These can be found either on the surface or buried in the soil. Where the boulder has been broken or decomposed banded red and white agate or quartz crystal remains.

Similar material occurs on nearby Camfield Station.
"Theses sites are in the Wyalong Ranges, south west of Katherine and when you get to Top Springs Roadhouse head south west towards Wave Hill you will see the ranges, that have much basalt and is the place to find Quartz, Agate (mostly pink and white banding) and Prehnite. Much of the amethyst has pit marks but very good examples do exist. [Costas Constantinides ]

Australia
Queensland, Biggenden Shire, ]Biggenden Mine (Mount Biggenden Mine; Biggenden Gold And Bismuth Mine; Mount Biggenden Bismuth Mine; Mount Biggenden Magnetite Mine; Biggenden Quarry)


Quartz & Calcite FOV 2cm	© Rui Nunes 2006

A magnetite-rich skarn deposit, mined in the 1970s, that produced a great many interesting minerals. Can anyone tell us more?

Australia
Queensland, Junction View via Gatton, Black Duck Creek


Quartz stalactites	© Alan Goldstein

Interesting quartz - who can tell us more?

Australia
Queensland, Mt Isa - Cloncurry area, Cloncurry District, Kuridala


DT Quartz var amethyst 7cm tall	© Keith F Compton


Quartz var amethyst 9cm tall	© WWB


amethyst, 14cm x 13cm	© Patrick Gundersen

"This location is about 7km south east of the abandoned township of Kuridala. The road is about the worst in Qld. The amethyst was found by the Tunneys in the early 1990's; they also found the Silver Phantom silver mine and numerous small copper shows in the area." Costas Constantinides

Australia
Queensland, Mt Isa - Cloncurry area, Cloncurry District, Mt Elliott Mine


Quartz on Diopisde 6cm wide	© Arliguie M


Drusy Quartz	© Alan Goldstein

This was an old copper mine reopened in the 1990's using open stope methods and ore was hauled out using a decline road, and produced a lot of interesting copper minerals (especially micros) and skarn minerals. The adit/portal is now sealed off to stop the more adventurous fossicker as even today amethyst is still everywhere.

"The Mt Elliot mine quartz and amethyst is nearly always found coating diopside crystals.. The Mt Elliot copper mine was of course famous for the large selenites that had native copper inclusions and for diopside, native copper, allanite, chalcocite, chalcopyrite, andradite, scapolite, magnetite, calcite etc " Costas Constantinides

Australia
Queensland, Mt Isa - Cloncurry area, Mary Kathleen District


Iron stained Quartz 6.6cm wide	© Neil A Richards

(Costas Constantinides) "re the other red/milky quartz that says Crystal Mountain ,I do'nt think this is so. All the quartz that comes out of Crystal Mt is long prisms ,mostly clearish ,some with chlorite inclusions..ths piece could come from any where within a 20 K radius of Mary Kathleen,,there is a lot of it for the person who is prepared to dig..
(4) the areas north of Mary Kathleen has Toms Mountain for platey red and hematite included quartz
the areas south of Mary Kathleen has Crystal Mountain for primatic types
Other sites include: Smoky Mountain for prismatic hematite quartz
Skeletal Hill for skeletal quartz
Windy Hill for hematitic phantom quartz(these are very good)
Graves area Ballara mostly stubby hematite and skeletal quartz "

Australia
Queensland, Mt Isa - Cloncurry area, Mary Kathleen District, Ballara, Graves area


Quartz	© Alan Goldstein

"This piece comes from a locally named the Graves area near the abandoned town of Ballara. There are numerous sites that produce this type of skeletal growth (some argue that its hoppered and not skeletal).
Ballara is about 15K south of Mary Kathleen Mine." [Costas Constantinides ]

Australia
Queensland, Mt Isa - Cloncurry area, Mary Kathleen District, Hightville, Smoky Mountain


Smoky Quartz 3cm wide	© Martins da Pedra

This hematite included quartz comes from Smoky Mountain (it was thought the quartz was smoky and not heavily included by hematite as is now known. [Costas Constantinides ]

Australia
Queensland, Mt Isa - Cloncurry area, Mary Kathleen District, Hightville, Crystal Mountain

[pictures needed]

Crystal Mountain is about 500metres east of Smoky Mountain in the same range of hills. Very popular with locals and visitors. [Costas Constantinides ]

Australia
Queensland, Mt Isa - Cloncurry area, Mary Kathleen District, Toms Mountain


Hematitic Quartz, doubly terminated 2.5cm	© JSS

This site is just west of the old Mary Kathleen open cut. It contains platey red and hematite included quartz. [Costas Constantinides ]

Australia
Queensland, Mt Isa - Cloncurry area, Cloncurry District, Starra (Selwyn), Amethyst castle


150mm wide	© Andrew Tuma

[more pictures needed]

"There is another amethyst site between the Mt Elliot Mine and Selwyn. Its known as Amethyst Castle by everyone locally..Not great specimens but the lapidary people love it for its dark facetting colour and for the chevron banding found there." [Costas Constantinides ]

A small hill, next to a castle-like mesa, has produced a lot of large, dark but gemmy amethyst crystals, to several cm across, mostly iron stained and heavily fossicked by local collectors.

Australia
Queensland, Southern Downs Region, Stanthorpe, Severnlea

11 x 6.5 x 4.5 cm wide.

Severnlea is approx 8 km south of Stanthorpe, SE Queensland.

Australia
Queensland, Southern Downs Region, Stanthorpe, Thulimba


1190mm x 85mm	© Nigel Richardson

.

This find was made when the Queensland Main Roads Dept were building a new highway,
just 200 meters from the eastern Queensland / NSW border. Most of the crystals were double terminated, the second termination was usually clear with multiple points. Quite a number were up to 60 cm long, this specimen is just a baby at only 18.5 cm x 6.5..
pix needed

Australia
South Australia, Adelaide Hills


Quartz 3.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz veins in late Proterozoic sandstones in operating and abandoned quarries produced some superb crystallised quartz specimens especially in the 1960’s - 1980’s – maybe still? There were a lot of sites, a couple of the best are the Ashton and White Rock Quarries (see below). Crystals were up to 15 cm long, usually glassy to white and sharp but with some clay and/or iron staining needing cleaning. Its not usually easy to pick the exact location of the specimens.

Australia
South Australia, Adelaide Hills, Ashton Quarry


Quartz 13.6cm tall Quarry	© Jon Mommers


Quartz, doubly terminated 9.5cm long	© A.Tuma


Quartz 12cm wide	© R. Bottrill 2005

.

Quartz collected in the mid 1970's. Displays several generations of growth and unusual termination which is complete. Specimens were cheap and prolific in the 1960's and 70's.

Australia
South Australia, Adelaide Hills, White Rock Quarry


Quartz, doubly terminated 3cm wide	© R. Bottrill


Quartz, doubly terminated 5cm wide	© R. Bottrill


Quartz, doubly terminated 6cm wide	© R. Bottrill


85mm x 10mm	© Patrick Gundersen


Quartz, 185mm x 120mm	© Nigel Richardson

The following information is compiled from info by Mark Willoughby, Patrick Gundersen, Tom Kapitany and others.

This is one of the best sites in Australia for good crystals. Specimens were cheap and prolific in the 1970's to 90's.

The quarry lies in the Stoneyfell Quartzite Group, which is in turn part of the Adelaide Geosyncline. It is believed, to have formed during the late Proterozoic thru to the end of the Cambrian (approx 900-500 million years ago). The quarry itself is a mix of Quartzite and Slates, and the vughs can occur in both rock types. I've hear of "room-sized" open vughs being found there and have seen crystals up to nearly a meter long in personal collections. The vughs I have seen in-situ were all clay filled, and on the night I found all those slender double terminated ones, the kaolin clay in the vugh was dry and powdery, so these crystal would "tinkle" together (don't know how else to describe that sound!) as they came out of the vugh. I think nearly 400 crystals came out of that one pocket! There are a number of fault structures with the quarry faces , these allowed the hydrothermal solutions to deposit (seed) the crystals.

The quarry is well known for its large clear crystals of quartz, showing many different forms, from single crystals thru to multiple crystal groups. It is especially well known for its spectacular ‘Japan Law’ twinned specimens. It is also known for producing some of the largest 'totally clear' crystals in Australia.

The South Australian Museum has dedicated an entire display case to the specimens of White Rock Quarry. It is quite surprising and somewhat upsetting to see that we only have 5 specimens currently (as of 6th April, 2012), showing here on Mindat! I know many collectors that have numerous specimens from this locality, all of which are great examples of this locality.

Some mineral dealers were very fortunate to get access with the quarry operators permission in the 90s. Peter Shelton had made arrangements to commercially collect the qtz crystals . He collected there for about a month or so , with Kevin Davies being the main purchaser .

The volkwagen size mud filed vugs were lined with crystal plates and double terminated crystals loose in the mud. You just had to stick your had into the mud feel around and extracted a beatiful 6 inch double terminated crystal. Many were iron coated and need to be acid cleaned , Jap Law Twins were to be found as well.

Tom Kapitany sold a wonderful cluster to Warren Sommerville many years ago with spectaular epitaxial growth, now on display in the Bathurst Museum .

After an altercation with a quarry staff member and a collector, collecting permission was rescinded and never given again. Security was upgraded due to the illegal night activity as public liabily and safety was and still is a major concern . The quarry is now off limits to all collecting.

Australia
South Australia, Adelaide Hills, Williamstown


Hematitic Quartz, 3.5cm tall	© R. Bottrill

Australia
South Australia, Olary district


Hematitic Quartz 3cm wide	© R. Bottrill


Hematitic Quartz 5cm wide	© R. Bottrill


Quartz 6cm long	© R. Bottrill


crystalised Gold included in a Quartz crystal, 25mm x 25mm	© Patrick Gundersen

Excellent crystals have been found in a number of sites in this area, including Weekeroo, Dome Rock and Kings Bluff, and range from colourless to smoky, and up to about 100mm long.

Some beautiful lustrous Smoky Quartz from "Baxter Prospect", Olary, SA appear in Albert Chapman's collection in Sydney, and rank as some of the finest smoky Quartz from Australia. Mark Willoughby suggests they were from the Raven Hill South Mine, Old Boolcoomata Station, Olary Province.

Australia
South Australia, Eyre peninsula, Cowell, Kathleen Patricia Mine


Smoky Quartz 2.5cm wide	© Martins da Pedra

Approx 26km north-northwest of Cowell, the deposit has formed in a northly trending section of the Warrow Quartzite, from the Hutchison Group, which is believed to be of Lower Proterozoic age (542-2500mya).
Crystals as large as 15cm in diameter have been found and plates containling numerous crystals to approx 90cm in diameter.
The best crystals appear to have been found in the 30-60cm (depth) zone, with crystals above this depth being faded.
Chemical testing shows little difference in the composition of chemistry between the clear and the smoky varietys. With no obvious trace element being responsible for the smoky colourisation.
There may, however, appear to be a link between temperature and the changes in colour.
Few if any gem quality specimens have been found here, although collector quality specimens are common.
Production from 1977-2007 of semi precious stones - Quartz was estimated at 20 tonnes.

[Mark Willoughby]

Australia
South Australia, Flinders Ranges, North Flinders Ranges, Umberatana, Tourmaline Hill granite pegmatites


Quartz 6.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

A morion (smoky quartz) mine.
Production from 1977-2007 of semi precious stones - Quartz was estimated at 20 tonnes.

Australia
South Australia, Flinders Ranges, North Flinders Ranges, Arkaroola Station, Mt Gee

This site is a highly vuggy deposit riddled with quartz-filled vughs, with some large and fascinating specimens found, usually iron-stained. Amethyst is rare.


amethst, 7x7cm	© Patrick Gundersen

More photos and info needed

Tasmania
Philosophers Ridge, Queenstown district, Tasmania, Australia


Quartz 7.5cm wide	© Andrew tuma

Quartz veins are well exposed on the rocky surface on Philosophers Ridge and near the Iron Blow mine. Although the veins are highly weathered and decomposed, spectacular quartz crystals to 6 cm can be collected, usually lustrous and colourless or milky. Some exhibit fascinating chlorite and haematite inclusions, colouring them variously green, red or black, or rarely smoky or amethystine. Some of the haematitic quartz crystals are sprinkled with small black to blue anatase crystals. It occurs as lustrous, often spectacular crystals to 50 mm in several varieties: colourless; green (chloritic); red to bluish or black (haematitic); or rarely smoky or amethystine crystals (Day, 2001), as well as a massive, milky gangue mineral. Quartz forms in at least four stages: it is the main matrix and second crystallising phase in vughs in the veins , but it may overgrow later minerals, indicating a spasmodic deposition and forming interesting "phantoms". Some good Japan-law twins and “faden” habits occur. Some exhibit fascinating vermicular chlorite and specular to colloidal haematite inclusions, usually much less than a millimetre in size.

Australia
Tasmania, Queenstown district, Prince Lyell mine


Quartz ~4cm wide	© R Bottrill 2008

The Mt Lyell copper-gold mines produce some excellent crystallised specimens of quartz, usually with chalcopyrite, haematite, dolomite-ankerite and other minerals, in late stage veins. The deposits are generally considered to be of Cambrian volcanic origin, but the late stage, mineralised but undeformed veins,may be of Devonian age. The opportunities to collect on the mine leases are infrequent and collecting is discouraged by mine management. However some miners continue to rescue specimens of reasonable quality and these are readily available from some outlets in Queenstown and elsewhere.

Australia
Tasmania, Waratah district, Waratah, Mt Bischoff


Quartz FOV ~2cm	©


~40mm long	© R Bottrill

Quartz crystals are common in this mine, usually in quite small crystals (to 1cm) with cassiterite and pyrite, etc, but some excellent large black to smoky crystals up to 5cm have also been found.

Australia
Tasmania, Heazlewood district, Luina, Mt Cleveland Sn Mine


Quartz & Dolomite 10cm long	© R. Bottrill

Some excellent large crystals were found in this mine, to 150mm long, commonly with dolomite and fluorite, when underground mining was undertaken in the 1960’s-70’s.

Australia
Tasmania, Rosebery district, Williamsford, Mt Read


Hematite stained Quartz 2.5cm wide	© R Bottrill 2008

Excellent bright red crystals are sporadically collected in this area.

Australia
Tasmania, Rossarden district, Aberfoyle Mine (Aberfoyle Tin Mine; Rossarden Tin Mine)


Smoky Quartz 5cm tall	© 2003 John H. Betts


Quartz var. amethyst & Apatite 4cm wide	© R Bottrill

The mine is developed on a number of relatively narrow quartz lodes traversing hornfelsed slates of the Ordovician to Early Devonian Mathinna Beds. The lodes are related to an underlying granite, part of the Ben Lomond pluton, of late Devonian age. These granites are responsible for the tin and tungsten mineralisation throughout Tasmania, and some of the gold, copper, silver and lead mines also. The veins are vuggy and mostly zoned, with a selvage of muscovite-cassiterite-wolframite, overgrown by quartz, topaz, fluorapatite and fluorite, with a central zone of late stage sulphides, haematite, scheelite and carbonates. There may, however, be several generations of some minerals. The wallrocks are hornfelsed, and locally silicified, sericitised and tourmalinised. Quartz makes up the bulk of the veins, and occurs as good crystals in vughs, from colourless to smokey, amethystine or white in colour.

Australia
Tasmania, Upper Forth Valley, Oakleigh Creek mine


Quartz 12.5cm wide	© Andrew tuma

Some excellent large milky white crystals were found in this abandoned mine, to 150mm long, commonly with cassiterite and wolframite, also fluorite and muscovite, when underground mining was undertaken in the 1960’s-70’s.

Australia
Tasmania, Waratah district, Hellyer-Que River Mines


Quartz 10cm tall	© R. Bottrill 2007

These two Pb-Zn mines are located close to one another, are probably tectonically displaced parts of the one ore deposit, and were mined almost simultaneously (1974-2000; McArthur and Dronseika, 1990). They are, again like Rosebery, volcanogenic massive Pb-Zn-Fe-Cu sulphide deposits hosted by the Cambrian Mt Read Volcanics. Quartz occurs in lustrous crystals to ~6 centimetres in vughs in both the Que River and Hellyer Mines. Good, small tennantite-tetrahedrite crystals have been found on quartz crystals in the Que River mine (Fig 9).
[Good quartz crystals also occur in many of the Zeehan and Heazlewood mines, and the Hercules, Que River and Rosebery mines (Fig. 9).]

Australia
Tasmania, Zeehan district, Mt Heemskirk mineral field


Quartz var. amethyst 3.5cm wide	© R Bottrill 2008


Quartz var. amethyst 2.5cm wide	© R. Bottrill 2005

Quartz occurs in miarolytic cavities and small pegmatite pods in Devonian granites, where it is mostly smoky to milky in colour, but some colourless quartz, amethyst and citrine crystals also occur. Black tourmaline is a common associate, and some caviries contain cassiterite. Local collectors walk through the granite heathlands looking for residual quartz and excavate pockets where signs of crystals are found.
also, Trial Harbour. In the old Mt Heemskirk tin field, north of Trial Harbour and west of Zeehan, some sporadically large miarolitic cavities in Devonian tin-bearing granite contain vughs containing interesting crystal groups of quartz (smoky, milky and green with tourmaline inclusions to about 10 cm (Fig#)) and tourmaline (schorl, black to dark green, to 6 cm), plus sporadic pods of cassiterite.

Australia
Tasmania, Zeehan district, Renison mine


Quartz & Pyrite 6cm wide	© R. Bottrill

This tin mine has produced some interesting quartz crystals commonly as crystals in vughs with rhodochrosite, ankerite-dolomite, siderite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, arsenopyrite and pyrrhotite fluorite vivianite (Bottrill, unpub. data).
[geology, history]

Australia
Tasmania, Gladstone


Smoky Quartz 15cm wide	© R. Bottrill

Smoky quartz crystals, mostly gemmy in part, and up to metre in length, occur in decomposed pegmatite pockets and stream gravels at Gladstone.

Australia
Tasmania, Tulendeena


Smoky Quartz & Microcline 9.5cm wide	© A.Tuma

At Tulendeena, east of Scottsdale, quartz occurs in miarolytic cavities and small pegmatite pods in Devonian granites, where it is mostly smoky to black in colour, and occurs with some green to white micrcocline crystals. The granite is pretty massive and there has been little collecting, but the area has good potential.

Australia
Tasmania, Moina

[Pix]
The All Nations mine, Moina
[Pix]
The All Nations mine, ~1 km to the east of the quarry on Dolcoath Hill, Moina, is an old tin-tungsten-bismuth vein deposit in sandstone, containing some excellent quartz crystals (commonly gemmy, ranging from colourless to smoky or milky(Fig#)) and some small but fine wolframite and orange-brown monazite crystals.
The Princess Mine, Moina
[Pix]
which recently produced excellent crystals of topaz, fluorite and bismuthinite, and is presently being reopened by miners for gems and minerals. Large smoky quartz crystals (<20 cm) also occur in the general area.
Shepherd & Murphy, Moina
[Pix]
This mine, on the western side of Dolcoath Hill, was one of the more important in the district and probably produced over 1000 t of combined Sn, W & Bi metal between 1893 - 1957. It contains several quartz-cassiterite-wolframite-bismuth veins, alluvial deposits and skarns. Recent exploration has uncovered large resources of fluorite, gold and zinc in the skarns. Crystallised specimens of topaz, quartz, molybdenite, bismuthinite, and realgar(Fig#) can be found on the dumps.

Australia
Victoria, Mooralla


Smoky Quartz 5.7cm tall	© Safaa Yu


Smoky Quartz 4cm tall	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz & smoky Quartz 5.7cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Smoky Quartz 6cm wide	©


Smoky Quartz on drusy Quartz 3.5cm tall	© viccloete

Mooralla has long been a famous collecting area, mainly in lapidary circles, and is renowned for its spectacular specimens of smoky quartz. Lesser known is the occurrence of other forms of quartz, including epimorphs, and a small number of other minerals.
The popular smoky quartz collecting area of Mooralla, also known variously as Black Range or Anderson’s Creek, is located west of the Grampians in western Victoria near the Rocklands Reservoir. The township of Mooralla consisting mainly of a few buildings, is a few kilometres to the southeast. See Map at MultiMap.com.

Access is via a rough track, which is often difficult to travel on, particularly following bouts of wet weather. The collecting area itself is Victoria’s only? fossicking reserve, and is "looked after" by the Horsham Gem Club members. Fossickers are allowed to camp there, and a toilet facility was erected a number of years ago. Those that have used this facility will attest to the resilient nature of the local flies, who may be trapped for many months, but when the lid is lifted, sound like a jumbo jet taking off as they escape!

The treasured smoky quartz "geodes" that have been highly sought since the 1960s, occur in a decomposing rhyolite, and are sometimes described as miarolitic cavities. Where once good specimens could be extracted from near the surface, holes are now dug down to depths approaching 6 metres in the main part of the field. For those that like smaller specimens, loose crystals, or the other minerals that are occasionally found, shallow holes to about 2 metres deep at the perimeters of the field will fulfill their needs.

Quartz is the dominant mineral found at Mooralla. The most popular, sought after, and aesthetic form, is the so-called Mooralla Crystal (smoky quartz), which may be found as simple or complex crystals, or groups of crystals to many centimetres in length, and rarely as sceptres. Many of these crystals are not simply a dark form of quartz, but exhibit wisp-like curls of smoke that swirl through the crystal. Gas bubbles in liquid inclusions are not uncommon but are difficult to find until you have "got your eye in". Recent editions of both the Mineralogical Record and the UK Journal of Mines and Mineralogy have featured photographs of Mooralla Crystals (although both have misspelt the locality as "Moorella"), and the special publication from the Mineralogical Society of Victoria, Gemstones of Victoria, features a small section on Mooralla.
Loose crystals are common where they have weathered out of the rhyolite. However, deeper down, specimens on matrix can still be collected, but beware. Some crystals that look like they are firmly attached, may come away when the specimen is washed. Even many of the more resilient crystals may show signs of damage to terminations and internal fractures, possibly pointing to some geological activity after they had formed.

Other forms of crystalline quartz include pale lilac amethyst, which is scarce and usually only occurs in small crystals up to about 1cm in length, and small colourless quartz to only a few millimetres which often lines cavities. Rarely, cavities may be filled with banded agate, a cryptocrystalline form of quartz.
[Steve Sorrell 2010]

Australia
Victoria, Terip Terip

{photos needed]
Some seven or eight years ago an area measuring 200 x150m was excavated on a pegmatite exposure near Terip Terip, to a depth of about 30m, when pumps could not keep up with the influx of ground waters and work stopped. Dark smoky with good lustre and large gemmy sections were recovered mainly as singles to 50cm, with crystals measuring 20 to 30cm being relatively common. Unfortunately, their recovery was undertaken by a number of well intentioned but inexperienced collectors and the majority of specimens showed significant damage. The largest group I have seen recovered from this deposit measured some 60x 50cm at the base. [Jon Mommers]

Lake Boga granite quarry, Lake Boga, Victoria, Australia


Field of view 8cm	©

This quarry was in granite with pegmatitic cavities containing a range of interesting primary and secondary minerals.

Australia
Western Australia, Mitchell Plateau

Excellent specimens of glassy crystals with epidote

Photos and Info needed

Neil Richards: Two places I will mention in Victoria that have not been mentioned ( and I will attempt to take photo's the next time I am at both places) are the spectacular clear quartz clusters with scatterings of pyrite throughout from the Morning Star Mine at Woods Point; and sensational double terminated pieces with enhydro inclusions from Specimen Gully near Chewton.

There is also an amethyst locality called the White Swan Crystal Mine near Mount Kooyoora, near Rheola In Victoria; this site is now closed for collecting as it is in a National Park. Torbernite and autinite are also found at this locality.

Australia
Western Australia, Pilbara Region


Quartz var. jasper 17.5cm wide	© vasco trancoso

Info needed

Australia
Western Australia, Wyloo


Quartz var. amethyst 8cm wide	© Greg Andrew

The "Austwen Mine" Wyloo Station is a deposit that was worked commerically in the 1960's and 1970's for amethystine Quartz for the lapidary trade predominately both for gaceting and tumbling. My understanding the bulk of the production was sent to Germany. The property was idle and ownership changed a couple of times in the 1980's and early 1990's and finally when the current owner acquired the property all mining was ceased and permission must be sort to hand collect only and then on a very limited basis. The best of the specimens from Wyloo were mindblowing and have always been difficult to obtain, some the best were sold by Michael Newnham, a Melbourne based collector, in the 1980's. (from Jon Mommers)

[Ralph Bottrill, 9th April 2009]

Click here to view Best Minerals Quartz and here for Best Minerals A to Z and here for Fast Navigation of completed Best Minerals articles.

Quartz, Zambia (no replies)

Rock Currier — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:15:34 +0000


©

Quartz, USA, Colorado to Montana (45 replies)

Rock Currier — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:35:42 +0000


Smoky Quartz, 9cm tall	© 2003 John H. Betts


Quartz, 3cm	© 2001 John H. Betts

No one goes to Mt. Antero to try and dig quartz crystals, they go looking for crystals of aquamarine. If you can't fine aquamarine crystals you are happy to find good Phenacite crystals, but if Quartz specimens are all you can find, well you will take those too. The locality had been prospected and dug on for more than 100 years. Probably the first notable success was Ed Over who was able to dig some good aquamarine crystals that if my memory serves me ended up at Harvard University. He camped down below timber line and each day hiked up a couple of thousand feet to his diggings. The locality is renown for its terrible electrical storms. More than one person told me that they have run down the mountain in fear of their life because of the lightning bolts striking around them. One old timer told me about the time he felt the hair on his head standing up and when he would lift his rock hammer into the air it would hum. This locality will likely never be a big producer.
[Rock Currier2009]

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Chaffee Co., Turret District


Quartz, 4.5cm tall	© 2002 John H. Betts


Quartz & Epidote, 3cm tall	© Karl Volkman

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Chaffee Co., Turret District, Calumet Mine (Calumet; Calumet No. 2; Hecla; Hecla No. 2; Calumet Iron Mine; Calumet-Hecla-Smithville Magnetite Deposit; Patented Placer Claims: Calumet; Hecla-Williamson; Smithville No. 2; CF&I Company Mine)


Quartz, 6.6cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 4.4cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 5cm tall	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz & minor Epidote, 10cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Though perhaps better know for its specimens of uralite and epidote and garnet, this locality has produces a few decent quartz specimens.

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Douglas Co., Devils Head Pegmatite District


Quartz on Microcline, 5.7cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Colorado, El Paso Co., Crystal Park


Quartz on Microcline, 7cm tall	© John Sobolewski


Quartz on Microcline, 4cm	© 2002 John H. Betts


Smoky Quartz, 5cm wide	© Jorge M. Alves


Smoky Quartz, 6cm wide	© Jorge M. Alves

Quartz
USA
Colorado, El Paso Co., Pike's Peak


Smoky Quartz on Microcline, 9cm tall	© 2002 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Lake Co., Leadville District, Leadville


Quartz, 11.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Larimer Co., Red Feather Lakes, Pennoyer Amethyst Mine (Rainbow lode claim)


Quartz scepter, 7.2mm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz scepter, 4.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Amethyst, 6.0cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Mesa Co., Fruita


Quartz v. chalcedony after Barite, 2.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Mesa Co., Mel Bersh Claims


Quartz v. amethyst on Fluorite, 7.4cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Mineral Co., Creede District, Amethyst Vein, Commodore Mine


Quartz & Sphalerite, 3.7cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz & Sphalerite, 3.7cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Sphalerite & Quartz v. amethyst, 4.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Ouray Co., La Plata Mountain, Treasury Tunnel (Treasury Tunnel Mine)


Quartz & Chalcopyrite, 14cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Ouray Co., Ouray District (Uncompahgre District), Ouray


Quartz, 8.9cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 9.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 7.4cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 7cm wide	© Dan & Diana Weinrich Minerals


Quartz after calcite, 16.1cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 5.9cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 5.8cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Ouray Co., Ouray District (Uncompahgre District), Ouray, "Amphitheater" glacial cirque, Ohio Mine


Quartz, 12.1cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz on Fluorite, 9cm wide	© 2002 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Ouray Co., Ouray District (Uncompahgre District), Ouray, Bear Creek Canyon, Grizzly Bear Mine


Quartz ~15cm wide	©


Quartz, 3.7cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Ouray Co., Red Mountain District, Idarado Mine


Quartz, 7.4cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 5.9cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Ouray Co., Silver Point Mine


Quartz on Barite, 9.3cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz after ?, 8cm wide	© 2002 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Ouray Co., Sneffels District (Mount Sneffels District), Ouray, Camp Bird Mine


Quartz, 16cm tall	© 2003 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Park Co., Lake George (Badger Flats) Area


Smoky Quartz with Goethite after siderite, ~5cm tall	©

Quartz
USA
Colorado, San Juan Co., Silverton District


Quartz, 7.9cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 9cm tall	© 2003 John H. Betts


Quartz, 5cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz on Rhodochrosite, 6cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz after Barite?, 2.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 4.6cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 6.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 5.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz & amethyst, 7.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Usually collectors want specimens of Rhodochrosite from Silverton rather than quartz specimens, but when offered some of the good and interesting quartz crystals from there, they buy them.

Quartz
USA
Colorado, San Miguel Co., Ouray District (Uncompahgre District), Telluride, Idarado Mine


Quartz, 4cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz, 7cm wide	© 2002 John H. Betts


Quartz, 13cm	© 2003 John H. Betts


Quartz, 10cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 7.1cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz,
USA
Colorado, San Miguel Co., Telluride District, Telluride


Quartz, 10cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Teller Co., Crystal Peak area, Florissant, Crystal Creek


Quartz on Microcline, 5cm	© 2002 John H. Betts


Smoky Quartz 4cm	© 2002 John H. Betts

There are many pegmatites outcropping on both sides of Crystal Creak and in the Crystal peak region and all of them produce quartz crystals of one kind or another. Waling through the hills you can sometimes find quartz crystals laying on the surface of the ground along with pine needles. I found a nice crystal in just this way. The idea in prospecting this area is to find quartz crystals or fragments of quartz crystals in the soil and then track their source uphill till you find the pegmatite they weathered out of and then start digging. The goal is not to find fine smoky quartz crystals,which most of the quartz in this area is, but to find pockets of blue microcline crystals (amazonite) associated with smoky quartz crystals. But, if you can find only good quartz crystals, well you take those instead. Of course if you want to be cruel you scatter a few of them around for the next guy to find and make crazy dreaming of the fine pockets of crystals that they must have come from.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Teller & Park Cos., Crystal Peak Area


Smoky Quartz on Microcline, v. amazonite, ~20cm wide	© J.Ralph


Smoky Quartz on Microcline v. Amethyst


Smoky Quartz on Amazonite ~20cm?	© J.Ralph


Smoky Quartz on Microcline, 4cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Smoky Quartz, 10.9cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Smoky Quartz & Albite, 5.6cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Smoky Quartz, 4.4cm	© Dan Weinrich

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Teller Co., Crystal Peak area, Dreamtime Claim


Quartz, Amazonite & Goethite after Siderite, 6.8cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, Fluorite & Microcline, 10.9cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Smoky Quartz, 7.2cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Teller Co., Crystal Peak area, Smoky Hawk claim


Smoky Quartz on Amazonite, 13.5cm wide	©


Smoky Quartz on Amazonite, 11cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Teller Co., Cripple Creek District, Cripple Creek


Quartz v. amethyst 8.8cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Amethyst on Quartz, 8.3cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Colorado, eller Co., Cripple Creek District, Doorn Mine


Quartz v. amethyst ~2cm wide	© 2006 Peter Cristofono

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Teller Co., Cripple Creek District, Moffat Tunnel


Quartz/amethyst casts after ?, ~8cm wide	©

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Teller Co., Pikes Peak


Smoky Quartz, 5.6cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz &Microcline, 3.2cm	© Charles Creekmur


Amazonite, Quartz & Albite, 6.4cm	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Colorado, Saguache Co., Crystal Hill District, La Garita, Crystal Hill Mine


Quartz v. amethyst, 3.2cm tall	© 2002 John H. Betts


Quartz v. amethyst, 2.8cm tall	© 2002 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Connecticut, Hartford Co., Canton, Rattlesnake Mt., Canton Lead Mines


Quartz v. amethyst, 6.3cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Connecticut, Hartford Co., East Granby, Roncari quarry (Tilcon quarry)


Quartz on Calcite, ~6cm tall	© Paul Gilmore


Quartz, 5cm tall	© Paul Gilmore


Quartz on Datolite ~4cm wide	©


Quartz, ~4cm wide	© Paul Gilmore

The Roncari quarry is a trap rock quarry and periodically the encounter pockets containing fine daotlite, quartz, prehnite and calcite crystals. The quartz crystals are not particularly outstanding, but they are often prismatic unlike their drusy cousins from most of their New Jersey cousins from the Watchung traps. Not many localities produce prismatic quartz with daotlite and prehnite associations, and some of them can make for striking specimens. Many quarries produce good specimen, but unless there is someone there to collect therm, they are all run through the crusher.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Connecticut, Hartford Co., New Britain


Quartz, 4cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz, 2.5cm wide	© 2007 Peter Cristofono

Quartz
USA
Connecticut, Litchfield Co., Morris, Morris Dam quarry

Smoky Quartz, 18cm tall


Smoky Quartz ~8cm wide


Smoky Quartz, 8cm tall


Smoky Quartz, 12cm tall


Quartz on Microcline? 15cm wide

Quartz
USA
Connecticut, Middlesex Co., Portland, Collins Hill, Strickland Quarry


Quartz on Albite, ~40cm wide	© 2006 Peter Cristofono

Quartz
USA
Connecticut, New London Co., North Stonington, Lantern Hill Quarry (Silex Quarry)


Quartz, 13.8cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Connecticut, Tolland Co., Stafford, Diamond Ledge


Quartz, 11cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz xls. & casts after laumontite, 16cm	© Henry Minot

Quartz
USA
Connecticut, Tolland Co., Willington, West Willington, Becker Quarry (Becker's Quarry)


Smoky Quartz, 4cm tall	© 2002 John H. Betts


Smoky Quartz, 3.5cm wide	© 2002 John H. Betts


Smoky Quartz, 7cm long	© 2002 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Connecticut, Windham Co., Plainfield


Quartz, 6.5cm wide	© Joseph A. Freilich

Quartz
USA
Connecticut, Windham Co., Plainfield, Moosup


Quartz, ~20cm wide	© Paul Gilmore

Quartz
USA
Florida, Hillsborough Co., Tampa, Tampa Bay


Quartz v. agatized coral, 11cm wide	©


UV image of specimen on left	©


Quartz v. agatized coral, 16cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. agatized coral, 16cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. agatized coral, ~8cm wide	© 2007 Peter Cristofono


Quartz v. agatized coral, 22cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. agatized coral, 10cm wide	© Albert Russ

Tampa Bay chalcedony pseudomorphs after mostly coral has been cherished for years by the rockhound community but somewhat less well received by mineral collectors, but some of it when cut and polished can make very attractive specimens.

Quartz
USA
Hawaii, Maui Co., Maui, Olowalu Valley


Quartz, 4.7cm	© Rob Lavinsky

Pity the poor field collectors on Hawaii. There cupboard is particularly barren compared to their cousins on the mainland. Even Nebraska has more interesting minerals to find. But once in a while you can find the odd quartz and calcite specimens. The one pictured here must the the grand champion.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Georgia, Burke Co., Girard District, Girard


Quartz after snail, 3.5mm	© JBS 2007

Quartz
USA
Georgia, Elbert Co., Coldwater Creek


Quartz v. amethyst, 4cm tall	© 2000 John H. Betts


Quartz v. amethyst, 5.3cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Georgia, Towns Co., Charlies Creek (Charles Creek)


Quartz v. amethyst, 3.4cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Georgia, Wilkes Co., Jacksons Crossroads


Amethyst on Quartz ~20cm	© 1


Quartz v. amethyst, 6.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 15.6cm wide	©


Quartz v. amethyst, 6.7cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 4.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 9.1cm tall	© Russell G. Rizzo


Quartz v. amethyst, 5.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

This amethyst locality has been known for almost 100 years. It has produced some surprisingly good amethyst specimens and recently one that that was truly astounding. It is pictured above, the first one on the left. A dark purple cluster of amethyst crystals sitting on small snowy white quartz crystals. Even being familiar with the fabulous amethyst specimens from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and the Artigas region of Uruguay, this one stopped me in my tracks and made me stare. Now all they need to do is find a few hundred more of them so the price will come down enough so I can afford to buy one.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Idaho, Boise Co., Sawtooth Batholith/Sawtooth Mts


Smoky Quartz & Albite, 2.4cm wide	© 2007 JSS

Quartz
USA
Idaho, Boise Co., Sawtooth Batholith/Sawtooth Mts, Benedict Creek area (Devil's Den)


Quartz, 8.3cm tall	© Wm. C. van Laer


Smoky Quartz, Microcline, Topaz, 8cm wide	© Wm. C. van Laer

Quartz
USA
Idaho, Boise Co., Sawtooth Batholith/Sawtooth Mts, Oreamnos Lake


Smoky Quartz on Albite, 14.2cm wide	© Wm. C. van Laer

Quartz
USA
Idaho, Elmore Co., Sawtooth Batholith/Sawtooth Mts


Smoky Quartz, 4.8cm tall	© JSS

Quartz
USA
Idaho, Custer Co. Challis


Quartz after Apophyllite, 21cm tall	© Chris Tucker


Quartz after Apophyllite, 13cm center	© Chris Tucker

Quartz
USA
Idaho, Custer Co., Sawtooth Batholith/Sawtooth Mts., Upper Cramer Lake


Smoky Quartz on Albite, 15.8cm wide	© Wm. C. van Laer

Quartz
USA
Idaho, Owyhee Co., Bruneau Jasper (Bruneau Canyon 1-5; Bruneau Group Jasper)


Quartz v.Bruneau jasper, 13cm wide	© Crater Rock Museum

Quartz
USA
Idaho, Washington Co., Beacon Hill


Quartz v. C&P agate, 6.1cm	© Don Volkman 2/7/08


Quartz v. C& P agate, 7.8cm	© Don Volkman 2/24/08


C&P agate, 3.1cm	© DOn Volkman 4/24/08


Quartz v. C&P agate, 8.9cm wide	© Karl Volkman 3/01/09

Quartz
USA
Illinois, Hardin Co., Illinois - Kentucky Fluorspar District, Cave-In-Rock Sub-District, Ozark-Mahoning Group, Deardorff Mine


Quartz & minor Fluorite/Sphalerite, 13cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Mostly know for its fine fluorite specimens, once in a while the Deardorff Mine would produce surprisingly attractive quartz specimens.

Quartz
USA
Iowa, Lee Co., Keokuk


Quartz geode, 25cm wide	© Crater Rock Museum


Quartz geodes, ~12cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

These quartz geodes have been known for more than 100 years and the fields and stream banks that have produced them have been the happy hunting rounds for rockhound for generations. One one quite knows what to do with them. They are good for gardens and door stops. Collectors will generally not put them in their collections. They have even been used as back drops for little mining tableau's with tiny pewter miners working in their crystalline depths.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Louisiana


Quartz v. petrified wood, 15cm tall	© Danny Jones


Quartz v. petrified wood, 20cm tall	© Danny Jones

Quartz
USA
Maine, Androscoggin Co., Auburn, Mt. Apatite District, Greenlaw Quarry


Smoky Quartz, 13.4cm tall	© 2006 D. Levesque

Quartz
USA
Maine, Androscoggin Co., Auburn, Mt. Apatite District, Turner Quarries


Smoky Quartz, 6.3cm wide	© 2006 D. Levesque

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co. Albany, Bumpus Quarry


Rose Quartz, 5cm wide	© Van King


Quartz 3.2cm	© 2006 D. Levesque

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Brownfield, Rotten Rock Pit


Smoky Quartz, 3.3cm tall	© 2000 John H. Betts


Smoky Quartz, 3.3cm tall	© 2000 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Buckfield, Bennett Quarry


Smoky Quartz, 16cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz, 12.2cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Gilead, The Slide


Quartz, ~19cm wide	© Van King

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Grafton, Morse Brook locality


Quartz, 14cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Greenwood


Quartz, 9.9cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co. Greenwood, Noyes Mountain Quarry (Harvard Quarry)


Quartz, 10.5cm wide	© Henry Minot 2008

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Newry, Dunton Gem Quarry


Rose Quartz, 2.7cm wide?	© Van King

For many yeas, A few localities in Maine were the only ones known that produced actual crystals of rose quartz. Then specimens from Brazil came on line and blew them away. But the specimens pictures below are champions and I was never able to get one that good for my collection.
[Rock Currier 2009]

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Newry, Nevel Quarry (Twin Tunnels; United Feldspar Quarry)


Rose Quartz, 3.7cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Newry, Plumbago Mt. Graphite Mine


Rose Quartz, 6.9cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Rose Quartz, FOV ~3cm	©

Quartz
USA
Miane, Oxford Co. Newry, Rose Quartz Crystal Locality (Pegmatite 24)


Rose Quartz & Eosphorite, 4cm	© Rob Lavinsky


Rose Quartz, 1.5cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Rose Quartz, 2.1cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Rose Quartz, 2.6cm wide	© CTrebilcock 2008


Quartz v. rose, 4cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Paris, Mt. Marie Quarries


Smoky Quartz, 5.4cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Paris, Mt. Mica Quarry


Quartz, 7cm tall	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz scepter, 26cm tall	© Henry Minot 2008


Quartz, 2.5cm tall	© Paul Gilmore


Quartz & Elbaite, 26cm wide	© Henry Minot 2008

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Stow, Colton Hill Quarry


Quartz, 4.5cm tall	©


Amethyst scepter, 3.2cm tall	©

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Stow, Deer Hill District, Deer Hill Locality


Quartz v. amethyst, 5.3cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, 13.5cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky


Quartz v. amethyst, ~11cm tall	©


Quartz v. amethyst, 12cm tall??	©

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Stow, Deer Hill District, Eastman Quarry


Quartz v. amethyst, 18cm wide	© Henry Minot 2008

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Stow, Deer Hill District, Intergalactic Pit


Quartz v. amethyst, 18cm wide	© 2000 John H. Betts


Quartz v. amethyst, 9cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Sweden, Camp Encore amethyst locality


Quartz v. amethyst, 18.6cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., Sweden, Saltman Amethyst locality


Quartz v. amethyst, 6cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz v. amethyst, 12.5cm wide	© Henry Minot 2008


Quartz v. amethyst, 8.8cm wide	© Collectors Edge


Quartz v. amethyst, 5.5cm tall	© Adam Kelly

Quartz
USA
Maine, Oxford Co., West Paris, A.C. Perham Quarry


Quartz, 4cm wide	© Joseph A. Freilich


Quartz, 2.5cm	© Joseph A. Freilich

Quartz
USA
Maine, Sagadahoc Co., Topsham, Trenton Quarry (Trenton Flint and Spar Quarry)


Quartz, 2.6cm wide	© 2007 Peter Cristofono

Quartz
USA
Maine, Sagadahoc Co., Topsham, Russo Quarry


Quartz 6.1cm tall	© C.Trebilcock 2010

Quartz
USA
Massachusetts, Hampshire Co., Pelham, Amethyst locality


Quartz v. amethyst, 3cm tall	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz v. amethyst, 2.6cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Massachusetts, Norfolk Co., Bellingham, Rose Street amethyst locality


Quartz v. amethyst, 3.8cm wide	© Rob Lavinsky

Quartz
USA
Massachusetts, Norfolk Co., Stoughton, Simeone Quarry


Amethyst, 3.2cm wide	© Danny Jones

Quartz
USA
Massachusetts, Norfolk Co., Wrentham, Aggregate Industries Quarry (Simeone Quarry)


Amethyst & Dolomite, ~3.5cm wide	© 2004 Peter Cristofono


Quartz v. amethyst, 5.7cm wide	© Henry Minot 2008

Quartz
USA
Massachusetts, Worcester Co., Southborough


Quartz & amethyst, 8cm wide	© Collectors Edge

Quartz
USA
Massachusetts, Worcester Co., Lunenburg, Keating Quarry


Micro Calcite xls on Quartz, 4cm wide	© Paul Gilmore


Micro iron stained calcite on Quartz, 3cm	© Paul Gilmore


Smoky Quartz, 2cm wide	© Paul Gilmore

Quartz
USA
Massachusetts, Worcester Co., Southborough, Kidder Lane locality


Quartz with amethyst, 9cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz v. amethyst, 2cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts


Quartz v. amethyst, 8cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Massachusetts, Worcester Co., Southborough, Woodland Road "Ridge Road" construction site


Amethyst, 3.2cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts


Amethyst, 3.5cm wide	© 2001 John H. Betts

Quartz
USA
Michigan, Keweenaw Peninsula, Lake Superior


Quartz v. agate, 8.5cm tall	© Paul T. Brandes


Quartz v. agate, 4.5cm wide	© Paul T. Brandes


Quartz v. agate, 4cm wide	© Paul T. Brandes

For many generations rockhounds have searched the gravel pits and the beaches near the great lakes for the occasional fine banded agates that they sometimes found. Here are some fine examples of what great Lake Superior agates look like. Where they come from no one knows. Ask the glaciers.

Quartz
USA
Montana, Beaverhead Co., Elkhorn Hot Springs area, Crystal Park


Amethyst scepter, 2.4cm	© Wm. C. van Laer


Quartz scepter 3.4cm tall	©


Quartz, v. amethyst scepter, 4.1cm	© 2004, Jim Bean

Quartz
USA
Montana, Jefferson Co., Boulder Batholith, Delmoe Lake area


Quartz var. amethyst, 12cm wide	© JAW

Quartz, Uruguay (no replies)

Rock Currier — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:12:43 +0000


©

Quartz, United Kingdom (UK) (6 replies)

Rock Currier — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 18:28:43 +0000


©

Quartz, Switzerland (no replies)

Rock Currier — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:10:34 +0000


©

Click here for a list of articles that are not under construction but have had at least their first drafts finished.

This article is a place holder and needs someone to take it in hand and finish the first draft. If you would like to take this article in hand, leave a reply message below or contact Rock Currier via private message by clicking on the PM button next to my name at the top of the article.

Click here to view Best Minerals Quartz and here for Best Minerals A to Z and here for Fast Navigation of Best Minerals articles.

Can you help make this a better article? What good localities have we missed? Can you supply pictures of better specimens than those we show here? Can you give us more and better information about the specimens from these localities? Can you supply better geological or historical information on these localities?

Quartz
SiO₂ trigonal

Here will go a good picture of a quartz specimen from Switzerland and general remarks about the quartz from this country.

Here are some url's to some of the better quartz specimens here on mindat that can be considered for inclusion in the article. These, in mosc cases are just for temporairy use untill we can get images of the much better specimens that are almost certainly out there. We should also consider that there are probably localities out there with fine specimens that are not even mentioned on mindat. Also in some instances there are sometimes pictures on mindat, of specimens from a locality, but they were so ratty that I did not include them here, but there may also be relly good specimens from there that we should talk about in this article.

Quartz
Switzerland
Windegghorn Mt. (Windegg Mt.), Trift Valley, Gadmen Valley, Bern, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Hasli Valley, Bern, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Grimsel area, Hasli Valley, Bern, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Juchlistock Mt., Bächli Valley, Grimsel area, Hasli Valley, Bern, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Chammegg, Guttannen, Hasli Valley, Bern, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Kien Valley, Reichenbach, Kander Valley, Bern, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Gault, Haldensteiner Calanda, Calanda, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Thusis, Domleschg, Hinterrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Schin gorge, Thusis, Domleschg, Hinterrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Viaplana, Sils im Domleschg, Thusis, Domleschg, Hinterrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Piz Beverin, Mathon, Schams, Hinterrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Casatscha Valley, Cristallina Valley, Medel Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Russein Valley, Vorderrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Tujetsch (Tavetsch), Vorderrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Curnera Valley, Tujetsch (Tavetsch), Vorderrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Cavradi gorge, Curnera Valley, Tujetsch (Tavetsch), Vorderrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Giuv Valley, Tujetsch (Tavetsch), Vorderrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Nalps Valley, Tujetsch (Tavetsch), Vorderrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Oberalp pass area, Tujetsch (Tavetsch), Vorderrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Sedrun, Tujetsch (Tavetsch), Vorderrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Druntobel (Drun Tobel; Drun Sedrun; Krüzli valley; Kreuzli pass; Ruinas Plaunas), Sedrun, Tujetsch (Tavetsch), Vorderrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Sontga Brida, Sedrun, Tujetsch (Tavetsch), Vorderrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Strem Valley, Tujetsch (Tavetsch), Vorderrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Piz Gendusas, Strem Valley, Tujetsch (Tavetsch), Vorderrhein Valley, Grischun (Grisons; Graubünden), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Vättis, Tamina Valley (Vättis Valley), St Gallen, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Da Paccio Quarry, Novena pass area (Nufenen pass area), Bedretto Valley, Leventina, Ticino (Tessin), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Valleggia Glacier, Valleggia Valley, Bedretto Valley, Leventina, Ticino (Tessin), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Central St Gotthard Massif, Leventina, Ticino (Tessin), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
St Gotthard pass area, Central St Gotthard Massif, Leventina, Ticino (Tessin), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Uri, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Göscheneralp, Göschenen Valley, Uri, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Maderanertal, Uri, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
St Gotthard basis tunnel (north section), NEAT Construction site, Amsteg, Reuss Valley, Uri, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Intschi Tobel (Intschialpbachtobel), Intschi, Reuss Valley, Uri, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Sidelen glacier, Furka pass area, Urseren, Uri, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Galenstock Mt., Tiefenbach, Urseren, Uri, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Tiefen glacier, Tiefenbach, Urseren, Uri, Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Turbe Alp (Turben Alp; Turbe), Albrunhorn Mt. - Turbhorn Mt. area, Binn Valley, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Blattjengrat, Mätti Valley, Binn Valley, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Brig, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Grisighorn Mt., Belalp, Naters, Brig, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Trift, Burg - Fiesch Glacier area, Fiesch, Goms, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Hammer Mt. (Hammerhorn Mt.), Nufenen pass area (Novena Pass area), Ägene Valley, Ulrichen, Goms, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Illiez Valley, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Ferret Valley, Entremont Valley, Les Bagnes Valley, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Torrenthorn Mt., Leukerbad, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Switzerland
Lötschen valley, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Click here to view Best Minerals Quartz and here for Best Minerals A to Z and here for Fast Navigation of Best Minerals articles.

Quartz, Sweden (no replies)

Rock Currier — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:09:25 +0000


©

Quartz, Spain (13 replies)

Rock Currier — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:38:04 +0000


©

Quartz, South Korea (no replies)

Rock Currier — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:07:28 +0000


©

Quartz, South Africa, Republic of (4 replies)

Rock Currier — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 21:09:45 +0000


©

Quartz, Slovenia (2 replies)

Rock Currier — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:48:28 +0000


©

Quartz, Slovakia (no replies)

Rock Currier — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:03:55 +0000


©

Quartz, Russia (3 replies)

Rock Currier — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:47:00 +0000


©

Quartz, Romania (no replies)

Rock Currier — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:02:04 +0000


©

Quartz, Congo, Republic of (Brazzaville) (4 replies)

Rock Currier — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:17:38 +0000


©

Quartz, Portugal (2 replies)

Rock Currier — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:01:30 +0000


©


Quartz 25mm long	© Rui Nunes 2007


Quartz 35mm long	© Rui Nunes 2008

Quartz
Portugal
Santana, Sesimbra, Setúbal District, Portugal
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Portugal
Mata da Galinheira pegmatite, Vila Chã, Ponte da Barca, Viana do Castelo District, Portugal
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Portugal
Vila Real District, Poticas


Quartz 20cm tall	© Rui Nunes 2009


Quartz 8cm tall	© Rui Nunes 2009

Quartz
Portugal
Bom Sucesso No. 2 Quarry, Chãs de Tavares, Mangualde, Viseu District, Portugal
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Portugal
Regada, Cubos-Mesquitela-Mangualde area, Mangualde, Viseu District, Portugal
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Portugal
Quintela de Azurara, Mangualde, Viseu District, Portugal

[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Portugal
Nossa Senhora da Esperança Quarry, Quintela de Azurara, Mangualde, Viseu District, Portugal
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Portugal
Penalva do Castelo, Viseu District, Portugal
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Portugal
Alto das Quelhas do Gestoso Mines, Gestoso, Manhouce, São Pedro do Sul, Viseu District, Portugal
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Portugal
Lower mine, Alto das Quelhas do Gestoso Mines, Gestoso, Manhouce, São Pedro do Sul, Viseu District, Portugal
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Portugal
Assunção Mine, Aldeia Nova, Ferreira de Aves, Sátão, Viseu District, Portugal
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Portugal
Lagares de Estanho Mine, Queiriga, Vila Nova de Paiva, Viseu District, Portugal
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Quartz
Portugal
Santa Luzia quarry, Campo, Viseu, Viseu District, Portugal
[www.mindat.org]

Click here to view Best Minerals Quartz and here for Best Minerals A to Z and here for Fast Navigation of Best Minerals articles.

Quartz, Poland (1 reply)

Rock Currier — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:39:51 +0000


©

Quartz, Peru (no replies)

Rock Currier — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:57:05 +0000


©

Quartz, Paraguay (no replies)

Rock Currier — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:56:12 +0000


©

Quartz, Pakistan (no replies)

Rock Currier — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:54:33 +0000


©

Quartz, Norway (5 replies)

Rock Currier — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:14:55 +0000


©

Quartz, North Korea (no replies)

Rock Currier — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:50:18 +0000


©

Quartz, New Zeland (no replies)

Rock Currier — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:49:25 +0000


©