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Mineral Types
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(All the crystals shown below, except for one, were found on our property and are on display in our house. Many of the descriptions are courtesy of our friend, John who is a geologist and unlike Neil is not color blind.)
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Some science behind the pretty rocks:
The smoky quartz is quartz which has been darkened by millions of years of exposure to low levels of natural radiation. The greenish color of the Amazonite is caused by trace amounts of lead and water in the crystal structure of otherwise tan feldspar. Both the quartz and Amazonite are found in the pegmatite vein outcroppings on the hillside. The granite containing pegmatite veins has been age dated by US Geological Survey scientists at about 1040 million years old.
Amazonite
Amazonite Twins
Cleavelandite
Quartz
(See "combinations page" for more examples.)
In matrix
Phantom smoky quartz crystals are clear quartz crystals that have not darkened, but have a dark smoky quartz crystal growing inside them.
Nicely twinned crystal specimen of smoky quartz.
Two smoky quartz crystals with a greenish Amazonite crystal.
Nice selection of smoky quartz crystals with varying depths of color, tan feldspar crystals and some greenish Amazonite crystals.
Specimen of greenish Amazonite feldspar with dark smoky quartz.
Smoky quartz crystals. Various sizes 3/4 to 2.5.
Fluorite
Baveno Twin
Twin &
in Matrix.
Goethite - Pseodomorph After Siderite (Iron Carbonate)
Hematite
After Siderite Pseodomorph Iron
Oxide After Iron Carbonate
