Topaz & morion quartz - Pakistan | Ref.401

Topaz and morion quartz from Pakistan

This mineral association from Pakistan combines several light brown topaz crystals with morion quartz. The principal topaz crystal occupies the central part of the piece and displays an elongated prismatic form with several well-defined flat faces.

The much darker morion quartz crystals are distributed around the topaz. One develops in the lower part of the piece, while others can be seen along the side and near the top. The association rests on a cream-coloured matrix and is displayed vertically on an acrylic base.

What is morion quartz?

Morion is the name given to the darkest forms of smoky quartz, generally ranging from almost black to black. It is not a separate mineral species and retains the composition and general properties of quartz, with the chemical formula SiO₂ and a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale.

The colour of smoky quartz is produced by colour centres formed through natural irradiation in the presence of traces of aluminium within its crystal structure. Depending on the thickness of the crystal and the lighting conditions, morion may appear opaque or reveal brown tones.

Topaz and quartz in the same piece

Topaz is an aluminium silicate containing fluorine and hydroxyl groups, with the chemical formula Al₂SiO₄(F,OH)₂. It crystallises in the orthorhombic system and reaches a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale.

This piece therefore brings together two minerals that differ in composition, hardness and colour. The light brown tones of the topaz stand apart from the distinctly darker morion crystals.

Origin, dimensions and presentation

The documented origin of this piece is Pakistan, with no further information available regarding the mine or exact locality of extraction.

The mineral measures 28 mm long × 35 mm wide × 51 mm high. These dimensions refer only to the stone. Its total weight is 114 g including the acrylic base.