Quartz with Chlorite Inclusions
Measures Approximately: 4 1/2" x 2 1/4" x 1 1/4"
Weighs Approximately: 10.5 oz
This quartz is so included with chlorite that it looks like it's part plant. Really interesting. It's polish is going to be a bit rough in some spots because of the chlorite inclusions poking out of the quartz just a bit. Great gift from someone with a green thumb that also is a crystal person!
Quartz is the most common of the silica minerals. The group is all composed of silicon dioxide but have different crystal structures. The others form under specific conditions like very high temperatures. The name quartz comes from the German quarz, without a “t”. It may be derived from the Polish kwardy (“hard”). Pure quartz is colorless but trace metal inclusions can color it purple (amethyst), yellow (citrine), and brown (smoky quartz). It also forms in fibrous varieties without visible crystals like chalcedony.
The name chlorite refers to a group of related silicate minerals. The general term is used when the individual species is unknown. Although they can resemble mica by themselves, they often create landscape like inclusions inside quartz crystals. The name comes from Greek khloros ("green"), after their most common color.
