Amethyst Sceptre (Specimen #100242)

Mineral(s): Quartz var. Amethyst Sceptre 

Location: Chibuku Mine, Cherdzi District, Masvingo, Zimbabwe  

Size: 5.8 x 3.9 x 2.2 cm 

Description:  An outstanding pairing of amethyst sceptres with a third sceptre growing on the back of the crystals, collected several years ago under previous mine owners who focused on quality specimens and professional collecting. The sceptres are a beautiful purple with a dark purple zoning near the tip and hints of smokey quartz in zones. The sceptre crystals exhibit some stepped faces and there are hematite plates and microcrystals included throughout the crystals. Magnification reveals a myriad of inclusion forms and colour changes. A truly unique specimen, sharp crystal edges and highly lustrous. There is a small, barely noticeable nick on the crystal tips. An outstanding sceptre specimen from a former mining period.   

The Chibuktu Mine has been the source of amethyst and smoky quartz specimens for decades, mined by the indigenous peoples of the area. Until new locality owners restarted specimen recovery post-covid, previous sceptre specimens were collected by hand from surface showings and were moderately to heavily damaged. This sceptre crystals and others in this lot were mined by drilling and blasting in hard rock with professional extraction methods to reduce or eliminate crystal damage. This sceptre is one of the best of the 2022-2023 specimen lot and is truly exceptional.