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Quartz
Ken Larsen
Specimen | Catalog Number | Locality | Weight |
---|---|---|---|
Quartz | NMNH G10628 | Brazil, Minas Gerais | 3.20 ct |
Gift of Ms. Luciana Barbosa in 2009.
It is common to find inclusions in quartz crystals. Quartz is usually one of the last minerals to form in a deposit, so it sometimes grows around existing crystals. Because quartz is commonly clear, the inclusions are easy to see. This emerald–cut quartz from Brazil has a blue anatase crystal inclusion as well as needle-like inclusions of rutile. In this specimen, we can see the anatase inclusion seemingly floating in this clear quartz gem. Anatase is a form of titanium dioxide and is usually found as small, isolated, well-developed crystals. This 3.2ct gem is the first quartz gemstone with an anatase inclusion in the National Gem Collection.