Beautiful 6.3" Quartz Perimorph (Stalactitic) Geode - Morocco

Here is a beautiful quartz perimorph geode from Morocco. The geode has an interesting gradient of reddish-orange flowing into light amethyst crystals. There are also a couple nicely terminated calcite crystals hiding toward the back. The specimen sits nicely on a flat surface for a stunning display.

The mines near Tarazout, Sidi Rahal, Morocco have produced these very mysterious, beautiful, and rare quartz perimorph geodes for the past 30 years. For many years they were referred to has psuedomorphs or quartz after other minerals, but they are actually perimorphs. Perimorphs differ from pseudomorphs because they do not replace the earlier minerals but rather form a crust on top of them. In this case, quartz/amethyst have grown over an undetermined earlier mineral that has dissolved away.

They are found within a hard basalt, and contain very unique forms which have sometimes earned them the name "stalactitic quartz geodes".
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DETAILS
SPECIES
Quartz Perimorph
LOCATION
Tarazout, Sidi Rahal, Morocco
SIZE
6.3x4.7x3.0"
CATEGORY
ITEM
#32025