1.55" Amethyst Cluster with Hematite - Thunder Bay, Ontario

This is a cluster of quartz/amethyst crystals with hematite, collected from from the Purple Mountain Mine near Thunder Bay, Ontario. Much of the amethyst from Thunder Bay is unique in that it has a reddish coating of hematite (common iron oxide) on the crystals.

In the 1950s, amethyst deposits were discovered about 30 miles northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario while building a road. It has been mined in the area since the 1960s. This material can range from light, delicate purple to almost black in color. One very distinctive characteristic of many Thunder Bay amethyst crystals is the inclusion of red hematite as microscopic disks or spherules within the crystals. These inclusions can cause crystals to have red highlights, zones, or even appear completely red in color.

Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz (SiO2) that owes its violet color to natural irradiation, iron impurities, and the presence of trace elements, resulting in complex crystal lattice substitutions. It is considered a semi-precious gemstone, and just two centuries ago was considered to have a value on par with diamonds, sapphires, and rubies. The largest and best known amethyst deposits occur in volcanic formations in southern Brazil and Uruguay, but many localities around the world produce an amazing variety of amethyst crystals and formations.
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DETAILS
SPECIES
Quartz var. Amethyst & Hematite
LOCATION
Purple Mountain Mine, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
SIZE
1.55" long
ITEM
#164306