 
RUTILE
Specimen rut-9
$  36.00Dims: 2.0 x 0.8 x 0.7" (5.1 x 2.0 x 1.7 cm)
Wt: 22.4 g
Novo Horizonte, Bahia, Brazil 
 This thumbnail specimen consists of a single double-terminated quartz  crystal that is permeated by scores of golden Rutile needles.  These  needles reach lengths of over 1" (2.5 cm) and do not exceed 1 mm in  diameter, as almost all are thinner than human hair.  They have the  standard golden-yellow coloration and metallic luster, and are in  excellent condition, being protected by their quartz matrix.  The quartz  crystal that contains them is also in excellent condition, as only a  few very small fractures make up the extent of its damage.  Its  hexagonal prismatic form is rather warped due to its intergrowth with  other crystals, but its intact edges are straight and well-defined and  its intact faces are clean, possessing the standard vitreous luster.  It is colorless, transparent, and aside from the interference caused by  the Rutile needles, is quite clear, as only a few small, shallow internal  fractures are visible.  Some of the Rutile needles grow outwards from  small hematite crystals, most of which lie on the quartz's surface.  A  few, however, are completely included; one of these in particular is  clearly visible through a termination face.
 
