APOPHYLLITE
Specimen apo-27
$ 45.00Dims: 6.0" x 1.8" x 1.5" (15.2 x 4.6 x 3.8 cm)
Wt: 9.93 oz. (281.6 g)
Poona, Maharashtra State, India
There are at least 20 tetragonal prismatic Apophyllite crystals on the quartz host rock of this specimen. They are generally in good condition, though a few show obvious cleavage due to impacts. All are colorless and transparent, and most show concentrations of cloudy inclusions near their bases which fade to excellent clarity towards their terminations. Their luster ranges from pearly on the visible cleavage planes to nearly adamantine on undamaged faces. Likely the most interesting aspect of this piece is the quartz base on which these crystals rest; it is in the form of a stalactite that was hanging down in a basalt vug. It shows a rather large breakage surface on one side where it was separated from another stalactite and its tip is broken, but it is nonetheless very attractive and makes for an unusual piece. The quartz crystals that coat this stalactite do not exceed 0.2" (5 mm) in length or 0.1" (2 mm) in diameter and only their terminations are visible, but these terminations show excellent form and reveal the crystals' colorlessness and transparence. There is a small white patch of calcite or microcrystalline quartz on part of the stalactite that glows brightly under shortwave UV light.