Garnet on Smoky Quartz

This unique Garnet on Smoky Quartz specimen boasts two generations of mineral growth in the form of prismatic smoky quartz crystals, and bright spessartine garnets. The quartz gets its smoky coloration from trace amounts of aluminum and a process of natural irradiation. Garnets have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones. Garnets come in a variety of colors with the bright tangerine orange exhibited in this variety being one of the more coveted colors.

This specimen has a handful of well-formed smoky quartz crystals that radiate in different directions from the contrasting host rock. They have formed in their characteristic prismatic shape with sharp terminations and smooth faces. They exhibit a light smoky coloration and wonderful translucency. The spessartine has formed on top of the matrix and smoky quartz with excellent crystal isolation, giving the specimen a bedazzled-look. These lustrous crystals with their vivid orange coloration provide a great contrast and pop against the smoky quartz. This specimen has a sculptural form and excellent aesthetics.