Quartz with Anhydrite and clayey soil inclusions
A few days ago, a man brought a brownish-red crystal from Shakaradara, a village in the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, for testing purposes.
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| from Shakaradara, a village in the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
Upon examination, it was observed that the crystal had a pyramid formation and a short hexagonal prism. Additionally, the refractive index of the naturally polished surface was measured to be between 1.542 and 1.550. These characteristics confirmed that the crystal in question was indeed quartz.
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| from Shakaradara, a village in the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
To further confirmation, the crystal was subjected to analysis using the Private Raman Spectroscopy facility. The results revealed the presence of Anhydrite mineral inclusions within the quartz crystal. Moreover, the obtained Raman spectra perfectly matched those found in the RRUFF Raman spectra library.
The question regarding the reddish color of this quartz arises from the fact that it is found in an area with clayey soil that has a reddish hue, possibly due to a higher concentration of iron oxide. As the quartz forms, it becomes trapped within this soil, resulting in its distinctive coloration.
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| from Shakaradara, a village in the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
Below, you will find the combined (Quartz + anhydrite) and individual anhydrite Raman spectra.
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| Quartz and Anhydrite combine Raman spectra |
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| Anhydrite Raman Spectra |
Hamid Usman
Gemologist
CIGTL-Gemological Laboratory of Pakistan at Peshawar.
“Correct me if I’ve misunderstood“
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