Smoky Quartz

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Not as large as many Alpine Smoky Quartz crystals, this attractive miniature specimen makes up for this with its fine balanced aesthetics, on matrix, and with well-formed white 'Adularia'-style Feldspar crystals. Not only that, but it comes from the rarely seen Kar Alp area at Bramberg am Wildkogel, Salzburg, Austria. This locality, an elevated region above 2000 m above sea level, has long been known for Alpine-type minerals, but few good specimens are ever seen for sale. As wide as it is tall, the main, very glassy, deep smoky-brown pyramidally-terminated Quartz crystal reaches 1.8 cm tall. In fine overall condition its only imperfection is an internal flaw running from its base up and out to one side causing slight internal frosting, but its external shape and termination is undamaged. Very dark and glassy, with strong lighting the crystal is seen to be translucent to slightly transparent, but without directional lighting it looks almost opaque. Positioned in an upright pose, this specimen, although on the smaller size for display, presents really nicely. An older typed label (number 240) is attached to the back of the specimen, suggestive of this piece being maybe 30 or 40 years old.