"Alligator" Quartz ("floater") (ex Rolando Gioia Collection)

Item Description

A complete "floater" of the famous "alligator" Quartz specimen from Divino das Laranjeiras. The piece has a gorgeous tapered form and almost "curving" / flowing growth that almost makes it look like something organic. The faces are notably sharp and lustrous, and the piece is quite gemmy when backlit. You can see that there are stepped "scale"-like faces all over the piece, not unlike the scales of the back of an alligator, hence the name. There is a fantastic mix of broad smooth faces with tiny modified triangular "steps" mixed in. Every side shows something different, and I spent several minutes mapping out the various faces and where the corresponded to each other. The piece has a very slight smoky hue, and truly does not look like any other Quartz crystal I've seen from the locality. If you collect gem crystals, worldwide Quartz or just unusual specimens of common species, do not miss out on this one. Weight of the specimen is 48.68 grams. From the collection of Rolando Gioia (a contributor to new definitive book on Brazilian minerals: "Minerais e Pedras Preciosas do Brasil").