Minerals: Quartz, Hematite
Locality: Orange River, Southern Africa
Dimensions: 105mm x 72mm x 45mm
Weight: 299g
Provenance: ex. Mala Haslem Collection

Here is an exceptional hematite coated quartz from the Namibian side of the Orange River, one of the world’s classic localities for richly coloured red quartz.

Orange River is one of the world's classic localities for hematite included and hematite coated quartz, particularly the intensely red material for which the area has become so well known. Hematite commonly occurs within quartz from both sides of the river, sometimes as internal phantoms and sometimes as thin later coatings over earlier crystal growth.

This specimen shows that relationship especially clearly. The dominant crystal carries a dense red hematite layer beneath a later skin of clear quartz, producing an unusually rich, glossy surface with remarkable depth of colour. The final clear quartz layer is thin enough for the hematite beneath to remain vivid, while adding a bright vitreous lustre across the crystal faces. This style of red coating beneath a later quartz generation is well documented from Orange River material.

What makes this piece particularly striking is the contrast across the specimen. One side preserves the glossy red quartz almost uninterrupted, while the opposite side is covered by a rougher pale mineral association with a much more granular, irregular surface. Based on known Orange River associations, calcite or albite are both plausible possibilities, and both are recorded with quartz and hematite from the locality.

The crystal itself is substantial, with a strong broad termination and multiple smaller crystals growing around the base and flanks. Fine surface growth, partial overgrowth and contrasting matte areas create a highly three dimensional specimen, while the broad exposed faces retain strong lustre beneath the hematite.

Of the Orange River crystals we've handled with this half exposed, half capped style of hematite growth, this is by far the largest and most complete example we've seen by a large margin. The combination of size, rich red colour, lustre and preservation makes it a particularly strong expression of one of the locality's most recognisable quartz habits.