Judging quality
Blades are metallic red-brown and sit in distinct fans rather than as diffuse cloud. Confused constantly with hematite inclusions, which are darker and flatter.
Quartz
Lepidocrocite in Quartz
Clear or amethystine quartz hosting fans of red-orange lepidocrocite blades, often in super-seven and 'harlequin' combinations from Madagascar.
Care
Hard; ordinary care.
History & lore
Lepidocrocite is a common rust mineral — the same phase that forms on weathering iron, here trapped mid-growth in quartz.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Lepidocrocite in Quartz
- What is Lepidocrocite in Quartz?
- Clear or amethystine quartz hosting fans of red-orange lepidocrocite blades, often in super-seven and 'harlequin' combinations from Madagascar.
- How hard is Lepidocrocite in Quartz and what is it made of?
- Lepidocrocite in Quartz is a Quartz-family mineral with the composition SiO2 with FeO(OH). It crystallizes in the trigonal system and rates 7 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in red, orange, blush.
- Where does Lepidocrocite in Quartz come from?
- Notable localities for Lepidocrocite in Quartz include Madagascar, Brazil, Kazakhstan.
- How do you tell good Lepidocrocite in Quartz from filler?
- Blades are metallic red-brown and sit in distinct fans rather than as diffuse cloud. Confused constantly with hematite inclusions, which are darker and flatter.
- How do you care for Lepidocrocite in Quartz?
- Hard; ordinary care.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.