Red Quartz

Item Description

This material carries several varietal names including Ferruginous Quartz, Red Quartz, "Hematoid" Quartz / Hematite Quartz, Eisenkiesel, and I'm sure there are more. It's essentially Quartz that has been colored completely or nearly completely red by inclusions of iron oxide, most likely Hematite or Goethite. The locality around Tinejdad has recently produced some superb examples of the material with robust crystals, larger size display specimens and that beautiful stark red color. Unlike "strawberry" Quartz or other reddish varieties where small bits of red inclusions can be seen, or even just a coating of iron oxide on white Quartz, these crystals are RED THROUGHOUT! On this specimen, they are so heavily included that they barely pass light. The underside of the specimen features areas where a smoky hue can be seen, the vast majority of the specimens features that beautiful red hue. To top it off, the luster is surprisingly good and the piece is not dull or matte on the surface. What really sets these pieces apart are the fact that they are notably well-preserved, and with the exception of the periphery, the piece is in great shape. The largest crystal measures 8.0 cm long, but it's hard to measure an individual crystal, so this is an approximation. ATTENTION QUARTZ COLLECTORS: If you don't have one of these in your collection, don't miss out. They are beautiful display specimens with a pleasing color, and pieces like this one were few and far between from what we were able to select. If you collect Moroccan minerals, you have to have one of these in your collection. Priced in the inventory at $1,200.