Quartz

specimen number:
8822014

location:
Mooralla, Victoria, Australia

description:
A glassy gemmy crystal of smoky quartz 2.1 cm in height set on a crystallized quartz matrix. Beautiful thumbnail specimen in great condition.

Mooralla, located west of the Grampians in western Victoria, Australia, is a renowned gem-fossicking locality established as a dedicated public reserve. Geologically, the area features a decomposing Eocene rhyolite flow where gas cavities, lithophysae, and miarolitic pockets formed millions of years ago. Over long periods of weathering, these volcanic rocks broke down into soft clays, preserving hollow geodes and crystal-lined pockets. Mineralogically, Mooralla is world-famous for producing exceptional specimens of smoky quartz, widely prized for their high transparency, sharp terminations, and distinct internal wisp-like patterns. Historically, local landowners and sheep shearers first discovered the loose crystals on the surface mid-century, leading to the popularization of the site among lapidary and mineral collecting circles since the 1960s.

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