Rose Quartz on Quartz

Item Description

Rose Quartz is found at a small number of Brazilian localities, and almost nowhere else in the world in quantity and quality, rare among quartzes for reasons not fully understood. The only fine large specimens, almost without exception, come from Brazil - or rather, came from Brazil. The Island Mine in the 1960s (where the Smithsonian's famous piece is from) and the Sapucaia in the 1980s and intermittently to today, have produced a very few large cabinet pieces of quality - this being one. The piece is shockingly colorful, with about the most saturated, neon pink color you can ask for in a Rose Quartz. It is NOT pale. It is vivid...visible from across a room. Also, it has high luster with a greater contrast because the pink stands on massive white quartz, beneath. The piece is composed of several layers of rose quartz, each upon the other, so that you have botryoidal, swirling zones with sharp crystals atop, and combined with larger individual crystals throughout. Normally, you might see one such style on a piece, but not both, mixed together for unusual visual effect. There are a few small areas of damage, trivial in context, about the periphery. This has also never been to a modern prep lab for cleaning. The combination of saturation and sparkle with color variations, geometric variations, and 3-dimensional mounded aesthetics is what makes this piece a top specimen among others. It has a huge impact, and was long on display in the Rice Museum. Videos cannot convey the 3-dimensionality and impact well. Valued $35-45,000. This piece was donated to the Museum by Richard and Helen Rice, and long on display (comes with display labels).