Alpine Treasures
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A textbook example for a Tessin quartz from Val Bedretto. It shows a dominant main crystal with a small side-crystal protruding at the base. Both crystals are highly lustrous and crystal clear and show a distinctive Tessin quartz habit. They are completely undamaged up to the sharp tip! Get a better impression of luster and transparency in our video!
Crapteig, Thusis, Domleschg, Hinterrhein Valley, Graubünden, Switzerland
Size: 3.1 x 3 x 2.6 cm
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A single 8 mm long anatase crystal is set on a limonite/feldspar/quartz matrix. The anatase is of bi-pyramidal shape with both ends freely visible. The piece comes with a note, saying it was found around 1970 by Jakob Steger.
Geren Valley, Oberwald, Goms, Wallis, Switzerland
Size: 9 x 6.3 x 3.6 cm
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I totally love the pristine aesthetics of this fabulous quartz! It’s a brilliant crystal from Geren Valley. One significant main crystals is accompanied by a horizontal side-crystals, both are in perfect condition, sharp and brilliant. The quartz is transparent and amazingly lustrous. What looks contacted on the backside is in fact completely crystallized and perfect. A stunning specimen of highest appeal!
Cavradi, Val Curnera, Tujetsch, Graubünden, Switzerland
Size: 5.3 x 2.7 x 2.2 cm
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The arrangement of the hematite plates on this specimen is rather unique and fascinating. One flat plate behind the other, like a spinal column. The crystals are sharp, lustrous and with a striking surface structure that also holds a number of rutile crystals. One of the hematites is broken but that's not visible from the front and in my opinion doesn't much impair the overall beauty of this spectacular piece! At the bottom there is some snow-white fledspar which adds contrast to the otherwise shiny jet-black specimen. Absolutely marvelous in person!
Cavradi, Val Curnera, Tujetsch, Graubünden, Switzerland
Size: 3.7 x 2.9 x 1.7 cm
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A highly aesthetic structure of black schorl on rock matrix. The schorl is grown as a compact thicket consisting of countless thin crystals that show dark red color when exposed to direct light.
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The fluorite cubes are up to 1.5 cm on edge. They have a dark purple coloration, although in direct lighting you can see quite beautiful phantoms. The surface has a velvety sheen and is free of damage. The matrix, on which the fluorites sit so beautifully, is also overgrown with white calcite crystals, which offers a nice contrast to the fluorite. A lovely specimen of very nice dark color!
Cavradi, Val Curnera, Tujetsch, Graubünden, Switzerland
Size: 9.8 x 9.4 x 4.4 cm
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With sweeping look and super-vibrant quality this quartz easily distinguishes itself from the larger mass of quartz specimens that you can find out there. The surface has wet-look luster all over with fine striations and sharp edges. The crystal body is colorless and clear, especially at the upper half. The lower half is a bit clouded and has rock inclusions but at close inspection you will find that there is no damage and even the bottom is largely crystallized. The backside is contacted and re-crystallized as well. This is a gorgeous specimen indeed!
Cavradi, Val Curnera, Tujetsch, Graubünden, Switzerland
Size: 5.2 x 2 x 1.6 cm
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A towering cluster of black schorl is aesthetically set on a piece of rock matrix which is in this extent very unusual for Alpine clefts! The needle thin tourmalines are three-dimensionally arranged along a zentral spine and rise arond 4.5 cm from the matrix. The condition is virtually flawless. A remarkable piece of Alpine tourmaline!
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This is a pristine and aesthetic group of crystal clear and highly lustrous quartz crystals in almost perfect condition. Only the leftmost crystal is damaged at the tip, but this is in fact not visible from the front. The quartz group sits asymmetrically on a silver shimmering piece of matrix and is accompanied by a small calcite crystal. Amazingly beautiful in person!
Maggia Valley, Ticino (Tessin), Switzerland
Size: 4.8 x 2.4 x 1.8 cm
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The very special thing about this apatite is the elongated hexagonal shape, which is extremely rare to find! While normally apatite grows as flat wheel-like crystals, this one is elongated along the c-axis and thus much longer than its diameter. The apatite is of very good quality. Transparent, shiny and undamaged. The end face is slightly rounded, but this is not worn but naturally etched. Watch our video to get a better impression of this unusual crystal.
Ankogelgruppe, Anlauftal, Gasteinertal, Pongau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 8.3 x 3.2 x 2.9 cm
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A lovely high quality skeletal quartz that shows beautifully structured surface with brilliant luster, especially on the front! The crystal body itself is completely water-clear. Only near the backside are some chlorite inclusions which look beautiful when looked upon from the front and through the glassy crystal. The whole specimen is virtually flawless with a crystallized bottom.
Val Giuv, Tujetsch, Vorderrhein Valley, Graubünden, Switzerland
Size: 10.1 x 6.6 x 2.8 cm
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This exceptional and formidable smoky quartz specimen unites three gwindels on one piece which is something I honestly haven’t seen before! All three gwindels are of very similar shape, size and quality and are arranged among other smoky quartz crystals to compose this unique specimen. The quartz is transparent with a nice smoky color. The surface is lustrous, well structured and has hardly any abrasions at all. The bottom is not broken but fully crystallized with small quartz and even some feldspar. This is certainly a unique specimen of exceptional beauty and mineralogical importance!