QTZ01 Quartz included by Hematite $2,250.00 Small Cabinet, 9.6 x 8.4 x 7.6 cm Orange River, Namibia Ex. Charlie Key; Marshall Sussman; Rick Hottel

This is a superb small cabinet specimen from the Charlie Key collection of Orange River quartz, assembled between 2000 and 2010, and probably the best such collection to be build in the heyday here, this was ONE OF THE BEST OF THE LOT! This matrix specimen consists of a cluster of rather equant, translucent quartz crystals to 5 cm in length. The color is incredible: The glassy crystals are heavily included with an evenly saturated microscopic granular hematite, giving the crystals a very rich and even reddish color. Most of the crystals exhibit phantoms right at the very top of the terminations. Overall, dramatic, distinct, and pristine on the display face. It is nearly complete all around, with a few minor contacts at the lower periphery, only. This piece was sold by us years ago to a quartz collector, Rick Hottel, and purchased back recently. The quality has not been repeated since the time of these finds, and I doubt that one could assemble another collection as Charlie Key did in the heyday here. Unlike most quartz from this region, of which there are many, the color is rich and saturated, even and not mottled. This to me, is the difference between one of the best, and all the rest...

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