Quartz (var Amethyst)

A polished specimen of quartz (var. amethyst) from Slieve Meelmore in the Mourne Mountains, County Down, Northern Ireland. The piece shows attractive gemmy purple colouration typical of amethyst occurring within quartz veins hosted by the granite of this well-known mountain range. The polishing highlights the internal colour zoning and translucency of the quartz, making it a superb example of this material.

At Slieve Meelmore, amethyst occurs in quartz veins associated with fracture zones cutting through the Mourne granites. These veins are locally accompanied by epidotisation of the surrounding rock, reflecting hydrothermal alteration related to the emplacement of the granite. While small occurrences of amethyst are known from the Mourne Mountains, good pieces are uncommon, making this a nice example of quartz mineralization from this classic Northern Irish locality.