Smoky Quartz on Pink Fluorite


Optically clear smoky quartz crystals on the top, pink fluorite octahedra on the bottom (see below)! Size is 7.0x4.5x4.0 cm. Locality is, of course, Mont Blanc, between France and Italy. The northern terminus of this sharp ridge is in southwestern Switzerland, where I was told this specimen is from. However, knowledgeable sources have told me that it is actually from further south, on the French side above Les Contamines.
An interesting side note on this piece is that the 2 prominent quartz prisms show clear X faces on at least 4 and 5 (respectively) of the upper left corners, the classic "Dauphiné twin". Ding on the big prism, but still mighty pretty!

Acquired at the 1994 Bourg d'Oisan Show.


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