Quartz

specimen number:
2072378

location:
Waldhambach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

description:
A classic German specimen, this a cut section and polished of agate from this classic area. At one time part of the collection of Wolfgang Hinkle, this comes with his label.

The Waldhambach area, situated in the Annweiler district of the Rhineland-Palatinate state in Germany, is located within the scenic Palatinate Forest. Geologically, the region is characterized by the presence of lower Triassic Buntsandstein (Bunter Sandstone) formations that have been fractured and mineralized by hydrothermal activity along the margin of the Upper Rhine Graben. The locality is noted for its high-quality quartz specimens, particularly those occurring as colorless, translucent, or milky crystals found within veins and cavities of the sandstone host rock. Historically, small-scale quarrying for sandstone was a common industrial activity in the surrounding Palatinate region throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, with several local quarries providing building materials for nearby villages. While not a site of massive industrial mineral extraction, Waldhambach became a recognized spot for mineral collectors in the latter half of the 20th century due to the aesthetic quality of its quartz crystals and occasional occurrences of associated minerals like barite. As of 2026, the area is primarily valued for its natural beauty and as a classic German locality for crystalline quartz found in a sedimentary environment.

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