Quartz

specimen number:
2292367

location:
St. Gotthard, Ticino, Switzerland

description:
Colorless gemmy crystals of quartz measuring to almost 2.0 cm in height coming off matrix. In good condition.

The St. Gotthard Massif, located in the Central Alps of Switzerland, consists of ancient crystalline basement rocks, primarily granites and gneisses, that underwent intense metamorphism and uplift during the Alpine orogeny. During this mountain-building process, tectonic forces fractured the rock, creating open fissures where hydrothermal fluids cooled slowly to deposit quartz crystals. Historically, searching for these mineral pockets has been a traditional occupation carried out by local alpine collectors, known as "Strahlers," whose activities in the region date back centuries. St. Gotthard is particularly noted for producing smoky quartz, which obtained its dark coloration over millions of years due to natural, low-level radiation from surrounding radioactive minerals in the host granite disrupting the quartz crystal structure.

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