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Quartz with sphalerite inclusions
Ken Larsen
Specimen | Catalog Number | Locality | Weight |
---|---|---|---|
Quartz | NMNH G11585 | Brazil, Goias | 14.31 ct |
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 brownish-orange sphalerite crystal inclusions. In this specimen, the spalerite inclusions appear to be floating in the clear quartz gem. Sphalerite is a zinc sulfide, an ore of zinc.This 14.31ct gem is the first quartz gemstone with sphalerite inclusions in the National Gem Collection.