UNIVAZ-35
Quartz Included By Actinolite
Miage Glacier, Veny Valley, Monte Bianco Massif, Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy
Small Cabinet, 7.8 x 6.1 x 3.6 cm
Ex. University of Arizona Mineral Museum
SOLD
This is an exceptionally lustrous cluster of two side-by-side gemmy, bright quartz crystals. They are complete all around the sides and only contacted on bottom. These crystals are richly included by the "byssolite" variety of actinolite, in the form of sharp green needles running through them. Hubert de Monmonier loved quartz and his collection must have had 1000 quartzes in it. He sought after all the classic included varieties, of which this was a style seldom seen here in the US market, at least. The yellow area in the bottom-right is an inclusion of iron staining within the quartz, that tints it yellow. From the collection of Hubert De Monmonier (1919-2007), donated by bequest to the University of Arizona Museum to add to their displays and to provide specimens for sale to establish an endowment fund for museum operations, in perpetuity.