2.1" Smoky Quartz, Orthoclase and Aegirine Association - Malawi

This is a beautiful 2.1" wide association of smoky quartz crystals with white orthoclase crystals and black aegirine crystals. This mineral cluster was collected from Mount Malosa in the Southern region of Malawi, Africa.

Quartz is the name given to silicon dioxide (SiO2) and is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust. Quartz crystals generally grow in silica-rich environments--usually igneous rocks or hydrothermal environments like geothermal waters--at temperatures between 100°C and 450°C, and usually under very high pressure. In either case, crystals will precipitate as temperatures cool, just as ice gradually forms when water freezes. Quartz veins are formed when open fissures are filled with hot water during the closing stages of mountain formation: these veins can be hundreds of millions of years old.

#{smoky}
Orthoclase is a feldspar mineral with the chemical formula KAlSi₃O₈ and a hardness of 6 - 6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. It is considered a key component in many igneous rock formations and is one of the most abundant minerals throughout the continental crust. It can form individual crystals, but it is most commonly known for its pink coloration within granite rock. It has many commercial uses, including application in the production of a wide variety of ceramics, and is sometimes used in the manufacturing of glass.

Aegirine is a sodium iron silicate with the chemical formula NaFeSi2O6. It is a member of the pyroxene group and it shares the same crystal structure as augite, but a different chemical composition. It typically forms long, slender crystals that can bear reddish-black, brown, black or greenish colorations.

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DETAILS
SPECIES
Smoky Quartz, Orthoclase & Aegirine
LOCATION
Mount Malosa, Zomba, Southern Region, Malawi, Africa
SIZE
2.1 x 1.9"
CATEGORY
ITEM
#117494