Natural History, including Gorgosaurus
Natural History, including Gorgosaurus
Amethyst Single Crystal
Auction Closed
July 28, 03:27 PM GMT
Estimate
25,000 - 30,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Amethyst Single Crystal
Ellis-Jones Mine, Due West, Abbeville County, South Carolina, United States
9 by 9 by 6 inches (22.8 x 22.8 x 15.2 cm). 13 pounds (5.9 kg). Custom lucite base.
A large amethyst crystal exhibiting a skeletal growth of deep purple that has overgrown a grey smoky quartz stem in a scepter-like formation.
Often used in jewelry, amethyst is a type of lavender quartz deriving its purple hues from iron impurities, traces of other elements, and exposure to radiation. Displaying a dazzling complex crystal lattice pattern, the name amethyst comes from the Greek word for "intoxicate".
The lustrous amethyst crystal offered here yields from the famous Ellis-Jones Mine in South Carolina. In 1974, the U.S government issued a postage stamp depicting an amethyst crystal from this exact same pocket.