Minerals: Quartz with Goethite & Secondary Copper Minerals
Locality: M'Sissia, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco
Dimensions: 75mm x 28mm x 22mm
Weight: 51.9g

This is another fascinating old stock specimen from M'Sissia, a historic Moroccan locality best known for complex iron rich quartz associated with secondary copper mineralisation. In this piece the copper minerals are extremely restrained, although there are tiny traces of azurite here and there. Instead, the specimen is really a celebration of goethite and the extraordinary way the iron has developed across the quartz.

The colour is fantastic. A deep brick red patina covers much of the crystal, interrupted by intense neon orange accents and darker brown to black areas of goethite. The distribution is wonderfully irregular, with the brighter orange appearing in concentrated patches across the surface and around the secondary growths.

The quartz itself is complex, with a strong elongated main crystal and smaller secondary crystals developed along its length. Layers of iron rich mineralisation wrap around sections of the quartz, giving the piece a rugged, heavily textured character that is even more impressive in person.

It's a very individual example from M'Sissia. The locality is usually chased for its brighter copper mineralisation, but this specimen shows another side of the same mineral system, with the iron producing an equally compelling palette and an unusually dramatic surface. The tiny flashes of azurite are simply an added detail for anyone who enjoys looking closely.