Blue Quartz - North Carolina

[TheOculus]

A large matrix specimen of Blue Quartz, colorless Quartz and Muscovite Mica. I found this one while sluicing for gold in Caldwell Co., North Carolina.

 

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[stdenis_jd]

So I have to ask, any ideas how quartz such as your specimen (and blue lace agate) get its color? I've researched and can't find anything...which is strange since almost any color is heavily documented as far as the inclusion/impurity that causes it...

 

[TheOculus]

It's not an area that has been properly documented for sure. Although there is much speculation as to what causes the colors, I'm going to be having actual analysis done on these specimens.

 

[DDancer]

Have you looked thru the references at mindat? https://www.mindat.org/min-26723.html

 

[stdenis_jd]

Have you looked thru the references at mindat? https://www.mindat.org/min-26723.html

"commonly of fibrous magnesioriebeckite or crocidolite, or of tourmaline. The color may be caused by the color of the included minerals or by Rayleigh scattering of light at microscopic inclusions.
The term is sometimes also used for massive quartzite with inclusions of blue minerals.

Nice! I've gotta remind myself to check mindat more often. Incredibly stupid not to. Thanks DD

 

[DDancer]

Nothing stupid about it stdenis, funny thing is my bookmark for mindat takes me to.... Blue Quartz hehh. Happened to be the first thing I was checking on years ago in a related post here *somewhere* and my own curiosity. I liked the picture there and bookmarked it.

 

[Eu_citzen]

So I have to ask, any ideas how quartz such as your specimen (and blue lace agate) get its color? I've researched and can't find anything...which is strange since almost any color is heavily documented as far as the inclusion/impurity that causes it...

This one is good, to:
The Quartz Page: Blue Quartz