Quartz

specimen number:
8911045

location:
Tiefen glacier, Tiefenbach, Realp, Urseren, Uri, Switzerland

description:
An attractive cluster of glassy gem smoky quartz crystals with little attached matrix. In perfect condition all around, the quality is quite high.

Located in the Uri Alps within the Aar Massif of Switzerland, the Tiefen Glacier area near Realp is a famous Alpine mineral locality renowned for its late-stage Alpine fissure deposits hosted within Hercynian granitic basement rocks. Formed during Cenozoic tectonic uplift and hydrothermal activity, mineral-rich open cavities and fissures developed where quartz crystals grew undisturbed over millions of years. Regional crystal hunters, locally known as Strahler, have searched these rugged Alpine cliffs and glacier margins for centuries using traditional tools to extract world-class mineral specimens. The locality is particularly celebrated among collectors for producing iconic dark brown to nearly black smoky quartz crystals, which often occur as pristine, highly lustrous, transparent points along with hematite, adularia feldspar, and fluorite specimens.

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