Microcline with Quartz

specimen number:
2072168

location:
Teller Co., Colorado, USA

description:
Blocky colorless crystals of microcline measuring to 4.0 cm across on matrix and hosting crystals of lustrous smoky quartz. Classic combination piece for this area. In good condition with minimal micro-damage present.

The Pikes Peak batholith in Teller County, Colorado, is famous for its Miaro-litic pegmatites, which are small, crystal-lined pockets found within the 1.08 billion-year-old Pikes Peak Granite. Geologically, these pegmatites formed as gas-rich fluids became trapped in the cooling granite, allowing for the growth of spectacular crystals in open cavities. The area is world-renowned for its unique mineral assemblage, specifically the combination of Amazonite (a blue-green microcline feldspar) and smoky quartz. Historically, mineral collecting in this region dates back to the late 1800s, with early prospectors and settlers discovering pockets while searching for gold and other metals. In the mid-20th century, localities like Crystal Creek and the Smoky Hawk claim became legendary as systematic digging revealed some of the finest Amazonite and smoky quartz specimens ever found. Today, the region remains an active and popular area for both professional and amateur collectors, who continue to find significant specimens of smoky quartz, Amazonite, fluorite, and rare minerals like goethite and zinnwaldite in the rugged terrain of the Colorado Front Range.

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