Detailed information
Species
Rutile, Quartz
Dimensions
30 x 41 x 22
mm
Locality
Kapudzhukh Mt, Zangezur Range Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Azerbaijan
Condition
No recorded repairs
This is a phenomenal Rutile by any measure. With stunningly bright, reflective black surfaces, sharp faces, intricate growth lines and magnificent twinning this is a wonderous miniature. It is from a famous occurrence high up on Kapudzhukh Mt. (at 3,900 m above sea level) in the Zangezur Range, Azerbaijan. Reputedly, this material came from two mining seasons in the snow-capped mountains during the late 1990s. The longest crystal is 1.5 cm in length with the twin spanning 2 cm in width. There is some cracking evident under magnification, but this is likely to be natural tectonic fracturing as Rutile is a very stable mineral geochemically. Small prismatic Quartz crystals occur in association. Ex Hans Engelbrecht collection, no. 5762, acquired by him in 2002.