Description
Detailed Description
This is an early specimen from the Mamuju finds, from the time when the material was being labeled “grape agate” by collectors. This piece is from the John S. White collection, no. 27-6-1, and his label accompanies it. The specimen has nice lilac colour and looks great in the display case. In very good condition overall, with a few missing/incomplete amethyst balls. I have left some support material on the back because it stands so nicely, but I can remove it before shipping if you’d like me to (just let me know). An attractive display piece!
About These Indonesian “Grape Amethyst” Specimens
Originally referred to as “grape agate”, specimens were first found in the Mamuju area in 2015. These specimens are recovered from clay, in the spaces between the “pillows” in pillow lava. Although they were first known as “grape agate”, they are not cryptocrystalline (and therefore are not agate) – they are balls of radiating crystalline quartz. When the find first came to market, there was a large amount of material, much of which was poor quality. The diggers then began to produce higher quality specimens. The article on this material in the Mineralogical Record (Nov-Dec. 2018) predicted that the production of fine specimens would decline and it speculated, based upon local sources, that all specimen mining of the pillow lava deposits would likely cease by about 2023 or 2024. Production of very fine specimens has indeed declined, although it has continued to a lesser degree, thanks to considerable financing from dealers abroad. It seems likely that the decline will continue. As with all mineral specimen localities, the ultimate accuracy of such speculation varies. In this case, the limited geographical extent of the known pillow lava deposits is a key factor.
Please Note: the colour representation in the still photographs has been carefully calibrated and adjusted to show an accurate rendition of this specimen in daylight (shade). The colours in the video are not similarly adjusted.
