Smoky Quartz on Cleavelandite with Muscovite

Bawmar, Kyatpyin North,

Mogok, Myanmar

24 cm tall x 19 cm wide

Mogok’s fame comes from producing the finest “pigeon blood” red rubies in the world. This smoky quartz, also from Mogok, exemplifies the extreme level of quality from this land of gemstones.

A large smoky quartz crystal grows up from a matrix of cleavelandite and muscovite. The smoky quartz crystal exhibits a wondrous color change. Beginning at the base nearly clear and ending at the termination in deep brown. Smoky quartz must have the richness of chocolate brown, dark enough to evoke thoughts of warmth, yet light enough to be transparent. To have this most perfect color appear against the cotton white cleavelandite and silvery reflective musco- vite places this example at the very highest level for the species.

This specimen was featured in our Illumination Exhibition.