Tourmalinated Quartz Point
Measures Approximately: 2 1/8" x 1" x 3/4"
Weighs Approximately: 1.6 oz
This is a heavily included quartz point. The polish is rough in a few spots because the tourmaline juts out to the surface in some areas.
Quartz is the most common of the silica minerals. The group is all composed of silicon dioxide but have different crystal structures. The others form under specific conditions like very high temperatures. The name quartz comes from the German quarz, without a “t”. It may be derived from the Polish kwardy (“hard”). Pure quartz is colorless but trace metal inclusions can color it purple (amethyst), yellow (citrine), and brown (smoky quartz). It also forms in fibrous varieties without visible crystals like chalcedony.
Tourmaline is a group of boron silicate minerals that have a shared physical structure, but whose chemistry can be quite different depending on the type. It is one of the most colorful minerals, but "shorl", or black tourmaline, is one of the most common and popular varieties. Pink, green, and a combination of the two, or watermelon tourmaline, are also very popular.