Quartz

specimen number:
2292392

location:
Mt. Tenerife, King Co., Washington, USA

description:
Choice glassy gem Japan law twin quartz crystal. Complete all around and in good condition.

The Mount Teneriffe area, located in King County, Washington, is part of the Cascade Range and is structurally composed of the Snoqualmie Batholith and associated volcanic rocks from the Tertiary period. Geologically, the region features heavily glaciated terrain where erosion has exposed complex intrusive igneous structures and contact metamorphic zones, creating an environment favorable for localized hydrothermal mineral deposits. Historically, the rugged slopes around Mount Teneriffe and neighboring Mount Si attracted prospecting activity during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with miners seeking copper, gold, and iron deposits. While commercial mining yields remained modest, the area became well known among mineral collectors for producing notable silicates, particularly quartz crystal clusters found within the pockets of its fractured volcanic formations.

A Japan-law twin quartz consists of two individual quartz crystals that share a specific contact plane, intersecting at a precise angle of 84 degrees and 33 minutes. Geologically, this distinctive growth habit occurs when two separate crystal nuclei form along a single twin plane, specifically the (1122) plane, causing the crystals to grow outward in a flat, V-shaped or butterfly-like configuration. Historically, this morphology received its name because some of the finest, most symmetrical examples were documented in Japanese prefectures like Yamanashi during the late nineteenth century, though the phenomenon occurs globally in low-temperature hydrothermal veins. Collectors value these twins for their geometric precision and rarity, as the specific chemical and thermal conditions required to favor this growth plane over standard quartz crystallization are uncommon in nature.

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