Probably dating to the 1980s heyday here, this is a 2 kilo GEM crystal of alpine smoky quartz, of a quality normally only associated for brightness and clarity with the Swiss and French Alps. However, Russia also had a few! This locality, in its heyday, produced an exquisite suite of alpine cleft type minerals. The smokies were generally smaller, and more pale, smoky to gray in color. This bright quality and intense color, combined with gemminess, are a rarity. In excellent condition, this is complete all around with no significant wear, save only at the lower part of its base (and that is mostly contact, not damage). This specimen was exported from Russia by dealer Daniel Trinchillo in the 1990s, and was then appropriated/purchased by his father, a well-known quartz collector, before it ever hit the market. It has since been in the collection of Trinchillo Sr. Comes with custom lucite base In person, an imposing specimen!