Quartz on Quartz with Calcite

$950.00

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The ArkenstoneFeatured

3,403 for sale·Member since 2026

The structural layout of this piece is all about stepped dimension and architectural height. Instead of a symmetrical spread, this specimen features a robust, blocky cluster of straw-colored calcite rhombs that pile up dramatically on the front face, backed by a jagged staircase of bone-white quartz crystals. This piece has an incredible depth and versatility going on in terms of associations, and mineralogy. A closer look at the quartz reveals the odd anomaly of this pocket: corrosive solutions selectively etched and hollowed out the interior caps into delicate, skeletal radiating "Star" formations along the epitaxial growth plane of the first generation of quartz. When viewed from a top aerial view, you can almost look deep into the stars and see a cast-like formation around their base that’s been hollowed out from the other generation. Then, a smaller, much milder second wave of acidic solutions swept through the pocket. This second event lightly etched the later-generation calcite rhombs; because it wasn't nearly as corrosive as the first, it didn't demolish them, leaving behind beautifully textured, slightly frosted faces that still retain their distinct rhombohedral shapes perfectly intact against the rugged, matte background. When you flip on the UV lights, the specimen reveals its final secret, putting on a brilliant dual show with both calcite generations igniting electric red under shortwave and honey-yellow under longwave. From a one-time find in April of 2026, very few specimens were associated with calcite and these are even in China at a high premium compared to loose crystals and clusters.