Quartz var. Amethyst (scepter) - image 1

Quartz var. Amethyst (scepter) - image 2

Quartz var. Amethyst (scepter) - image 4

Quartz var. Amethyst (scepter)

Unknown Owner

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This extremely sharp and well-developed quartz crystal scepter is from one of the most famous, classic, and unique finds in American mineral collecting: a seaside cliff area about to collapse into the ocean in Rhode Island. It is from the famous 1985 find at Hopkinton, near the coast in Rhode Island. This find was instantly one of those classics where specimens became treasured like gold among East Coast collectors, and few were seen to trickle out even at that time; and hoarded like gold. Today, they are very hard to come by and we only see them as generational collections come to market, with 1-2 in each of the collections built in that era. I have seen many miniatures, a few larger still, but this is a superb, well-balanced specimen with top quality, and the best color and overall proportion that you can ask for. Unlike most which have murky scepter caps, this one is shockingly gemmy and you can see within to the perfectly central quartz point, floating inside. Most are offset, but this is, again, proportional. It is complete all around, only contacted on back. It is not just a representative miniature, rather it really is one of the best such miniatures for all of the overall qualities seen here, in balance. Bill is a persnickety collector and loves small, fine and balanced specimens the most of any size, so he paid careful attention when these came out; and bought several in the 1980s. Since then, they have resided in the specialized educational quartz collection case he has had at his store, The Collector, since the late 1970s (until I bought this unique and varied quartz collection in 2020). For what it is, for this find, and for its particular qualities, he kept it all those years. These command a premium for what they are, provenance aside.