Quartz

specimen number:
2062739

location:
Reel Mine, Iron Station, Lincoln Co., North Carolina, USA

description:
An attractive and somewhat unusual example for this famous locality, the specimen consists of a matrix covered on top by colorless mostly gemmy crystals of quartz to 1.0 cm in size. Set along one edge of this is a beautiful gemmy purple crystal of quartz, the type called amethyst, measuring 3.0 cm in size. Slight micro-damage present upon this amethyst crystal. Still quite striking with the two colors and multiple generations of crystallization. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Chris Cowan.

The Reel Mine near Iron Station in Lincoln County, North Carolina, is historically renowned for producing some of the finest gem-grade amethyst and combination quartz specimens in the eastern United States. Geologically situated within the Piedmont region, the deposits formed within hydrothermal vein systems and pegmatite-related structures traversing the local metamorphic rock matrix, where silica-rich solutions allowed high-quality crystal pockets to develop. Mining history at the site dates back decades, gaining fame during periods when commercial interest and notable jewelers, such as Tiffany and Company, targeted the region for high-clarity quartz gemstones, and it later became a celebrated locality for mineral collectors and rockhounding enthusiasts.

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