Quartz from Morocco, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Tinghir Province

Faden quartz are produced by tectonic activity in alpine clefts (cracks formed in rocks as a result of stretching during mountain building events). They are well-known from the European Alps as well as from the Himalayas in Pakistan and other countries. This specimen, from the Tinghir province of Morocco is a bit unusual. The mountain ranges of Morocco are older, part of the same mountain belt that the Appalacians in the US are part of, and they don’t often contain alpine clefts that could produce faden quartz. Nonetheless, this 5.2 cm specimen is a beautiful example of this unusual quartz habit. The fact that it comes from a lesser-known locality for such things is just a bonus!