Quartz (var. Amethyst)

An unusual quartz crystal from the fairly recent (and cleverly titled) Buridan’s Mule claim, located in the Brushy Mountain amethyst locality, New Mexico, displaying a delicate pale lilac hue. The crystal is translucent with bright glassy lustre and features complex crystal faces together with striking skeletal growth features that give the specimen a highly sculptural appearance. Prism-parallel overgrowths and etched surfaces add further complexity, while the crystal remains complete all around, making for an attractive 360-degree display specimen.

The Brushy Mountain amethyst locality in Grant County, New Mexico formed through hydrothermal activity within the volcanic rocks of the Dark Thunder Canyon Formation, producing these distinctive and often bizarre crystal habits. Crystals from this locality are well known for their unusual growth features, including sceptred and even reverse-sceptred forms. Amethyst from this little-known occurrence that display the complex growth habits for which the locality make for prized collection pieces. A fascinating and uncommon example from an obscure American amethyst locality.