Quartz Var. Amethyst with Prehnite and Analcime

This piece has a very rich purple color that is highly sought after from this location. The crystals are transparent, with small needles of hematite. There is one small bubble that moves, and another that has blown out (tiny little crater -- commonly seen from here). It is unusual that one face of the termination has distinct triangular screw distortions (AKA Record keepers for the metaphysical crowd), these are hardly ever seen from this location. Both crystals are double terminated. no damage.

Crystals from this area are often misidentified as being from "Brandberg, Namibia," which is actually a deposit within a nature preserve in the same district. The Goboboseb mountains, in the Erongo region from which this cluster was found, is know for its remoteness, as the nearest water source is over 35 kilometers away. The host basalt has been dated to over 200 million years old. I have discussed this with geologists, who have theorized that Quartz crystals from the Goboboseb mountains have probably been crystallized for the length of that time!