Quartz with Hematite Inclusions
Measures Approximately: 2 1/8" x 7/8" x 3/4"
Weighs Approximately: 1.2 oz
This quartz point has dark grey spattering of hematite inclusions along the full back of the crystal. The outside of the crystal has a fascinating etched effect. The point has a small rough spot.
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.
Hematite included quartz is ferruginous, colored red, yellow, or brownish orange by iron oxides like hematite and limonite. It may be natural or heated to enhance the color by reducing its water content like carnelian. The name is derived from the Greek haimatoeides (“resembling blood”).