Description

Detailed Description

A one-of-a-kind specimen from Mamuju, with many beautiful pale purple to colourless quartz crystals in slender subparallel aggregates, some in a habit similar to stilbite “wheat sheafs”. The purple amethyst balls are not simply under these pale crystals and groups, some are under, some together with, and some on top of them. The amethyst balls are top colour, sparkle and quality. The piece is complete all around, and looks super when supported to stand vertically for display. A fantastic, unique piece from Mamuju!

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.