Minerals:  Morion Quartz
Locality: Inner Mongolia, China
Dimensions:  180mm x 78mm x 40mm (approx)
Weight: 294g
Provenance: ex. Mala Haslem Collection

Here is an extraordinary Morion quartz from Inner Mongolia, acquired at the Perth Gem & Mineral Show in 2022. At 180mm tall it has an unusually commanding form, built from several long parallel crystals with dense black colour, cool grey banding and contrasting pale mineral zones across the surface.

The main crystal rises in a remarkably slender column, with strong horizontal growth and a glossy lustre across the darker faces. Parallel crystals run closely alongside it, repeating the same elongated habit at different scales and giving the specimen a highly structured, architectural composition. The black and charcoal grey shades are interrupted by irregular white zones and pale surface deposits, creating a striking natural pattern across the crystal faces.

The secondary growth is especially impressive around the lower half, where multiple elongated points emerge closely together before separating into distinct terminations. One horizontal crystal extends outward from the base, giving the specimen a much more three dimensional profile than a simple vertical cluster.

Despite having handled a great deal of Inner Mongolian quartz since acquiring this piece, I have still never seen another quite like it. The height, repeated parallel growth, striped colour pattern and unusually graphic surface contrast give it a very distinct identity.