One thing that Chrissy and I have discovered and enjoy about the Diamond Hill Quartz Mine is that just about every time we go there to collect, we end up bringing home something that we have never seen before. Our last several trips to the mine this month have been no exception as you can see from the following "unusual" specimens.

The following specimen shows at least three phases of quartz crystallization. The first phase of crystals have been overgrown with a second phase forming phantoms. A third phase of crystallization occurred when one side of the crystals were "frosted" with fine-grained quartz. It appears that one side of the quartz crystals may have recrystallized to form the "frosting" as the second phase is not complete there. I have no clue as to why the frosting occured on only one side of the crystals. So, the jury is still out on this one!

The following specimen also shows at least three phases of quartz crystallization. The first phase of crystals have been overgrown with a second phase forming phantoms. A third phase of crystallization occurred when tiny sprays and clusters of quartz was deposited on top of the second phase. There are indications that the second phase of quartz may have been partially dissolved before the third phase crystallized. Strange but striking!

The following specimen again shows at least three phases of quartz crystallization. Some of the first phase of smoky quartz crystals have been overgrown with a second phase forming phantoms. A third phase of crystallization occurred when a crust of silica was deposited on portions of the specimen. There are indications that the second and, perhaps, third phases of quartz may have been partially dissolved. I call this one the quartz shroud.

The following specimen is way cool. It is composed of light smoky translucent to transparent skeletal quartz crystals. This is the first of its type that I have collected or seen from Diamond Hill. Skeletal quartz (also known as elestial quartz) exhibits a layered or ribbed pattern. Its appearance gave rise to the term "skeletal" as the crystals resemble what someone with a good imagination would expect the skeleton of a quartz crystal to look like ( not that they exist). The patterns exhibited by skeletal quartz represent internal and external dissolution-growth features resulting from unstable conditions during crystallization. At the time that the crystals were forming, the conditions were such that the crystals would alternate between growing and dissolving. This "two-step forward and one-step backward" process resulted in the unusual step-like appearance. The skeletal quartz from Diamond Hill is generally milky white and sometimes has and overgrowth of clear quartz so this specimen is, indeed, unique

KOR

Mike