Smoky quartz with hyalite

Smoky quartz with hyaliteLocale: Erongo Mountain, Namibia Approx dimensions: 3. 75 x 2. 5 x 1. 5" Approx weight: 229g Smoky quartz from the Erongo region is typically a quite dark brown black color, with lower clarity due to natural inclusions, and a flat surface luster caused by etching. It grows sculptural elongated points like a spindle, like this tapered point. The main smoky quartz point is over three inches and attached to several partial prisms and shard like pieces.

Locale: Erongo Mountain, Namibia

Approx dimensions: 3.75 x 2.5 x 1.5"

Approx weight: 229g

Smoky quartz from the Erongo region is typically a quite dark brown-black color, with lower clarity due to natural inclusions, and a flat surface luster caused by etching. It grows sculptural elongated points like a spindle, like this tapered point. The main smoky quartz point is over three inches and attached to several partial prisms and shard-like pieces. This specimen is absolutely thick with hyalite, giving the smoky quartz a witchy appearance. 

Smoky quartz gets its dark coloration from trace elements that tint dark when the quartz is exposed to natural radiation. Don’t worry, the specimen can't expose you to radiation—even if the hyalite turns "radioactive" green under UV light due to trace elements of uranium.

Hyalite is a form of opal, which in turn is part of the broader quartz family. Related minerals commonly grow together because they have similar requirements for growth: in this case, the availability of silica that is the basis for the quartz family. Growing conditions that initially produced quartz changed, and a later generation of growth deposited the less common hyalite on the specimen.

Hyalite displays botryoidal growth (bunches of “grape-like” round crystals) with a glossy high luster like a layer of bubbles. I think it looks like mermaid caviar! Hyalite can appear fluid with formations that look like the splash from a drip frozen in place, or as if the edge has been peeled up away from the quartz like a tutu. This is displayed especially well on this point, which looks as though a drip of paint landed on the tip.

UV reactivity Hyalite is so strongly UV reactive that you can see it in sunlight. Under indoor lighting it is pale yellow to golden in color, but turns visibly greenish yellow when exposed to the UV in sunlight. 395nm UV fluoresces a strong green, with an icy blue undertone. Best viewed in darker conditions. 365nm UV fluoresces a strong yellowish-green color, generally visible even in bright lighting. No phosphorescence detected.