Quartz, Byssolite

This crystal has some interesting growth. About half way up the prism the crystal seems to have taken a step down in size. Not uncommonly the byssolite appears more yellow and straw-like at the base turning into a darker green nearer the top. Neat growth!

The specimen comes from a newer, lesser known locality near Zeballos on Vancouver Island, British Columbia; the deposit is in a contact skarn. The crystals are often colloquially referred to as"forest quartz", due to the mossy appearance of the byssolite inclusions, making it easy to visualize a pocket of these crystals in the beautiful rain forest of B.C. Currently all collecting on the the claim has been halted pending the outcome of a court action by the local indigenous band. This makes it unlikely that we'll see new material coming from this locality any time soon.