The French Alps are renowned for their superb pink and red Fluorite specimens, but they also produce some superb Alpine Quartz specimens. This piece is a rarity among Quartz specimens as it is a "Faden" (German word for string). It has a pastel smoky color, but due to the razor sharp faces, crystal clarity and high luster, the "Faden" within is very easy to see, running the length of the specimen. This piece was recently collected on Mt Blanc over the past summer (2009) .