Quartz var. Amethyst 'Fenster' habit

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It is always great to see mineral specimens with character, but especially so when they come from famous historic mining districts. Banská Štiavnica (or its German name of Schemnitz) is an ancient copper mining town in central Slovakia and although the overall number of mineral species recorded from there is not huge, some of the individual types of minerals are unique in their form, or appearance. Amethyst is well-known there historically, but in several types. This very pale amethystine Quartz crystal is a delicate 'sceptre' type, with a white, Milky Quartz narrow stem, or base. However, it is its main, or upper, crystal that is so interesting, as it is what is known as a 'Fenster' type, where the triangular pyramidal faces at its termination are recessed in a skeletal form. Some of these contain a later coating of tiny Calcite crystals and similar Calcite coats the base of the sceptre. A really fine Slovakian classic.