Amethyst Geode - Morocco | Ref. 313

This amethyst geode from Morocco comes from an old collection. Its triangular shape frames a wide cavity covered with a fine, closely packed violet crystallisation. The colour is paler around the edges and becomes deeper towards the back of the cavity.

The crystallised surface includes several rounded formations, themselves covered with small crystals. A pale border surrounds the amethyst, together with banded areas in pinkish-orange tones. The darker, irregular outer rock remains clearly visible around the opening.

The specimen measures 127 mm in length, 69 mm in width and 97 mm in height. It weighs 516 g.

A geode forms when a cavity within a rock is gradually reached by mineral-rich solutions. Over time, the minerals are deposited on the inner walls and develop into crystals. In this specimen, the amethyst grew towards the inside of the cavity, while the different layers visible around the opening indicate successive mineral deposits.

Amethyst is the violet variety of quartz, with the chemical formula SiO₂, and has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale.