Quartz Photos
Cochise College               
Photos of Minerals
Geology Home Page

Roger Weller, geology instructor

[email protected]    copyright 2011-R.Weller

 
amethyst crystal-3

Brazil
Amethyst is simply purple quartz.  At one time, long before the discovery of the
great deposits of amethyst in Brazil, amethyst was considered a valuable
gemstone, almost on par with diamonds.  Only the tip of the large amethyst is
transparent enough to be made into faceted gemstones.  This crystal is about 5
centimeters across.
 

quartz                                                                                                                                         lg1
Photo is copyright free for non-commercial educational uses.
Just credit photo to R.Weller/Cochise College.