Hematite with Quartz - image 1
Hematite with Quartz - image 2
specimen video

Hematite with Quartz

Unknown Owner
Classic Swiss Alpine specimen with bright lustrous metallic crystals of hematite measuring to 2.5 cm in size on matrix with quartz. Some damage present as seen. Rutile is present as well, typical of the locality. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video and dates to the very early 20th century.The Cavradi Gorge, located in the Val Curnera of the Tujetsch region in Graubuenden, Switzerland, is world-famous for its spectacular Alpine-fissure mineral deposits. Geologically, the gorge is situated within the Ceneri Zone of the Gotthard Massif, where tectonic forces created open cavities or clefts in metamorphic rocks like gneiss and schist. These fissures were later filled by hydrothermal fluids that crystallized into exceptional mineral specimens during the late stages of the Alpine orogeny. Historically, the area has been explored for centuries by local crystal hunters known as Strahler, with significant activity recorded throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. While not a commercial mine in the industrial sense, it is a legendary mineral locality celebrated for producing the finest hematite crystals in the Alps. The hematite from Cavradi typically occurs as lustrous, mirror-like iron roses, which are rosettes of tabular crystals often found associated with smoky quartz, rutile, and adularia. Due to the high altitude and difficult terrain, the recovery of these specimens remains a seasonal and arduous task, preserving the site's status as a premier destination for mineralogical research and elite collecting.

Product details

Species
Quartz, HematiteAbout Quartz →
SizeSmall Cabinet
Dimensions6.0 x 5.5 x 4.5 cm
Added on05/11/2026
Locality
Switzerland, Grisons, Cavradi gorgeRegional guide →

Known provenance

DateCollectorAcquisition price
05/2026Unknown Owner$750.00
—Weinrich MineralsNot disclosed

Learn more

Quartz
Mineral guide
Learn about Quartz
a versatile mineral with clear, milky, and colored varieties; crystal forms, formation clues, and tips for identifying amethyst and citrine.
Quartz
Regional guide
Quartz from Cavradi Gorge, Switzerland
Cavradi quartz belongs to the great Alpine-cleft tradition of Switzerland, but it has a personality very much its own. The finest pieces are limpid rock crystal to pale cognac smoky quartz, often sharply terminated, glassy, striated, and attractively poised on gneiss or feldspar matrix. What sets the locality apart for serious collectors is not just quartz alone, but quartz in the Cavradi language: clear crystals carrying mirror-bright tabular hematite, red rutile, adularia, calcite, siderite, and, more rarely, gwindel or amethyst forms. A cabinet of Swiss Alpine quartz can look geographically anonymous until a good Cavradi piece appears; the combination of water-clear quartz, dark metallic hematite, and red rutile has a crisp, high-contrast look that is instantly memorable.