Sidérite et quartz France Ref543

Siderite and quartz – Saint-Paul-en-Mésage (France, 2006)

This natural association highlights siderite in warm gray to golden tones, accompanied by translucent quartz crystals that partly cover its surface. The contrast between the matte reflections of siderite and the brightness of quartz creates a balanced and elegant composition.

Located in the Taillefer Massif south of Grenoble, the village of Saint-Paul-en-Mésage has long attracted collectors for its small cavities lined with siderite, quartz, and occasionally baryte. These finds, discovered in former extraction areas and roadworks, have helped to better document the local mineralogy of the Dauphiné Alps.

This specimen, collected in 2006, measures 43 mm wide by 57 mm high and weighs 118 g (including stand). It illustrates the typical paragenesis of the hydrothermal veins of the Grenoble region – that is, the sequence in which the minerals formed: siderite generally crystallized before quartz.

🟢 Mineralogical Information

- Name: Siderite and quartz

- Chemical formula: FeCO₃ (siderite) – SiO₂ (quartz)

- Crystal system: Rhombohedral (siderite) – Hexagonal (quartz)

- Color: Warm gray to golden (siderite), colorless to translucent (quartz)

- Hardness (Mohs): 3.5–4.5 (siderite) – 7 (quartz)

- Density: 3.9 (siderite) – 2.65 (quartz)

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