Chalcedony on Quartz (Japan Law Twin)

Unknown Owner

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This unusual specimen stands out for several reasons, and came in a small find which was brought out in fall of 2012. The crystal is a HUGE example of the rare Japan Law Twin habit of quartz - just astonishing in size. It is from a new locality, for me, and as such was very unexpected. Also, it is interesting because it is the only Japan Law twin I have seen with multiple generations of quartz piled on atop the original twin, which gives it a unique and sparkly appearance. The original owner and finders labeled it as "chalcedony pseudomorph after quartz," but it really seems to be the original quartz twin, simply under a drapery of sparkling, translucent, faintly-colored chalcedony which came on as a second layer. Chalcedony is the term for amorphous, uncrystallized quartz. On top of this coating of smoothing chalcedony, then, came a third generation of drusy (minute but crystalline) quartz, which is the surface as you see it: the sparkles being due to the tiny faces on all those tiny crystals atop. Joe Budd photos.