4.1" Las Choyas "Coconut" Geode with Smoky Quartz & Calcite - Mexico

Geodes are rounded, hollow voids in rocks filled with crystals and other minerals. They typically form when air bubbles inside of volcanic rock form hollow cavities. Over time, as mineral-rich water seeps into the rock, those minerals deposit tiny crystals on the sides those hollow cavities. After millions of years, the flow of water gradually builds crystals inside the empty space.

Las Choyas geodes, often referred to as coconut geodes, are mined from 100 to 200 feet below the surface near Chihuahua, Mexico. Shafts are drilled down to the geode-bearing white clay, and then tunnels are dug horizontally to extract the geodes.

The geodes typically range from about 2-6 inches in diameter and can contain a variety of minerals and crystals. Most hollow geodes contain a variety of quartz, ranging from clear quartz to smoky quartz to rarer amethyst. Many secondary minerals, such as goethite, hematite, mordenite, calcite and galena, may also be present in some geodes.

Smoky quartz is a grey-brown to black variety of quartz. This common name is derived from the appearance of smoke within the quartz crystal. Depending on the location and the chemicals present during formation, smoky quartz can appear opaque black, but it is typically translucent to some extent. It is believed that the quartz gains this color from a combination of natural irradiation and aluminum impurities.

Calcite, CaCO3, is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate. The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Calcite crystals are trigonal-rhombohedral, though actual calcite rhombohedra are rare as natural crystals. However, they show a remarkable variety of habits including acute to obtuse rhombohedra, tabular forms, and prisms. Calcite exhibits several twinning types adding to the variety of observed forms. It may occur as fibrous, granular, lamellar, or compact. Cleavage is usually in three directions parallel to the rhombohedron form.