Quartz (2176)

specimen number:
8811706

location:
Belleza Mine, Santander, Colombia

description:

A beautiful aesthetic spray of glassy gemmy thin quartz crystals coming off matrix. This is in good condition with just minor damage present.

The La Belleza mining locality, located within the Santander Department of Colombia, is a mineral deposit widely recognized for producing high-clarity quartz crystals. Geologically, the area sits near the northern extension of the Western Emerald Belt of Colombia, where mineralization is hosted within Cretaceous sedimentary sequences of shales, sandstones, and limestones. The quartz crystals, frequently exhibiting habits such as elongated needle forms, horizontal growth striations, and microscopic inclusions that create a subtle blue smoke appearance, developed within low-temperature hydrothermal veins and stable fluid cavities during tectonic deformation of the Andes. Artisanal surface and shallow underground extraction of these mineral specimens by local independent miners expanded notably during the early decades of the twenty-first century, and these small-scale seasonal operations remain active to the present day to supply the international specimen trade.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.