Minerals: Quartz with Aquamarine
Locality: Erongo Mountains, Erongo Region, Namibia
Dimensions: 48mm x 42mm x 33mm
Weight:  43.6g

This beautifully balanced quartz and aquamarine association comes from the Erongo Mountains in Namibia, and is composed of a central smoky quartz crystal surrounded by a striking arrangement of aquamarine.

The quartz forms the core of the specimen, with a lustrous termination and warm smoky colouring throughout the body. Scattered dark mineral inclusions and areas of minor iron staining add detail through the lower section, while the termination remains comparatively clear and reflective.

The aquamarine is quite appealing. Numerous elongated, hexagonal crystals radiate around the quartz from several directions, ranging from small delicate points through to much larger prismatic crystals. Their colour is a very pale icy blue/green, with good translucency and strong longitudinal striations. Several retain sharply defined terminations, and the larger crystals create considerable depth around the specimen rather than sitting flat against the quartz.

The reverse is especially impressive, where the aquamarine becomes the dominant feature and forms a dense cluster around the quartz. From the front, the arrangement is much more restrained, allowing the smoky quartz to remain the visual centre while individual aquamarines emerge around its edges.

This classic Erongo mineral association is particularly successful in its composition.