3.41 lbs Tangerine Hematoid Quartz with Wulfenite (2 pcs) - Collector Minerals L306
This set brings together an especially complete and sought-after oxidation-zone association: Hematoid Quartz in its Tangerine variety accompanied by Wulfenite, with the addition of abundant translucent amber-honey and milky white quartz. The term Tangerine designates quartz crystals coated by a thin granular layer of limonite and goethite that gives them that vibrant tangerine-orange and golden color, while Wulfenite (lead molybdate, formula PbMoO4) provides the striking mustard-yellow to yellow-golden tabular and prismatic crystals, with adamantine to resinous luster, hosted in the center of the cavities and on the matrix: a secondary lead mineral highly prized by collectors and typical of gossans. The combination of both on the quartz makes this lot a piece of great mineralogical and aesthetic interest.
The lot consists of 2 good-sized pieces with a combined weight of 3.41 lbs (1.549 kg), making them specimens of great presence, ideal both for prominent display in a showcase and for detailed study. As spectacularly revealed by the macro photographs, the pieces show a multiple visual richness: on the one hand, the granular orange-amber tangerine coating on the quartz faces; on the other, the ferruginous matrix or gossan in ochre-brown to dark-brown that serves as support; the mustard-yellow tabular and prismatic crystals of wulfenite, clearly visible in the heart of the hollows, that provide an adamantine luster and a highly valued microscopic detail; and finally, a generous presence of translucent amber-honey and orange quartz with color zoning, intermixed with milky white quartz of notable vitreous luster, that provides luminosity, transparency and depth to the whole. In this lot the translucent quartz has a special prominence, creating a strong contrast with the rustic opacity of the oxides.
From the point of view of its formation, this specimen is an excellent geological document of a supergene paragenesis: first the quartz crystallized (white and amber zones, the latter with that attractive honey tone); then, in the oxidation phase and fluid circulation, iron oxides (limonite and goethite, generating the tangerine and the gossan) precipitated on the quartz and the matrix and, under the same oxidizing conditions, wulfenite from the mobilized lead and molybdenum, crystallizing in its characteristic tabular and prismatic yellow habits inside the cavities. That superposition of phases explains the play of colors and textures observed and gives the piece its three-dimensional character and its high educational value, by illustrating in a single specimen the crystallization of quartz and the secondary mineralization of iron and lead.
The contrast between the rustic opacity of the gossan, the warmth of the tangerine, the mustard-yellow adamantine luster of the wulfenite and the luminous transparency of the amber and white quartz creates a very balanced and elegant visual effect. Due to its color, contrast, confirmed presence of tabular wulfenite, abundance of translucent quartz and size, this lot constitutes an exceptional opportunity for the collector looking for pieces with character, warm natural color and a visually very complete oxidation mineralogy, perfect both for mineralogical study and for prominent display in any collection.
SPECIMEN SPECIFICATIONS:
- Quantity: 2 natural pcs.
- Total weight: 3.41 lbs (1.549 kg).
- Minerals: Tangerine Hematoid Quartz (limonite and goethite coating) with tabular Wulfenite and translucent amber-honey and white quartz; ferruginous matrix (gossan).
- Reference: 626 - Lot 306.
