Mango Quartz For Sale

Mango quartz is a variety of quartz characterized by long, slender crystals that terminate in a bright yellow tip that looks just like the flesh of a mango. Specimens of mango quartz are absolutely stunning: they are chaotic jumbles of crystals jutting off in all directions, each tipped with a bright orange-yellow point. This material is fairly new to the mineralogical world and testing of the yellow, fibrous inclusions is thus far inconclusive, though the top contenders are humboldtine and halloysite. Both minerals tend to react negatively to oxalic acid and make cleaning and conclusive analysis quite difficult, but halloysite seems to be the current favorite as the included species. In addition to its perplexing composition, this mineral has quite a tumultuous history, steeped in mysterious rumors of secret mines, lost treasure, and Ronald Reagan's war on drugs. This is absolutely a must-have collector's item!

Stunning, Mango Quartz Crystal Cluster - Cabiche, Colombia #188376

9.8" Stunning, Mango Quartz Crystal Cluster - Cabiche, Colombia

$1,495

The Shocking History Of Mango Quartz

Mango quartz was originally discovered in Colombia in the 1980s by Victor Caranza, Colombia's largest emerald exporter. He held back most of the mined material for his personal collection. Hearsay suggests that after he had extracted what he wanted, he filled in the mine shaft so that he could easily corner the market. When President Reagan started to crack down on South American drug lords, Caranza was swept up in the raids. While his ties to the criminal underworld were never officially confirmed, his volume of exported material and wealthy clientele made him highly suspect to the United States government. Since Caranza's incarceration and eventual death in 2013, mango quartz had disappeared from the market. As it stands, Caranza's private collection is still lost to the world. It wasn't until 2017 when local farmers stumbled upon the road that led to the mango quartz mine. There, they uncovered a new cavity filled with this mineral. Since then mango quartz has taken the mineral world by storm. Nearly everyone wants a piece of this truly unique mineral!

How Does Mango Quartz Form?

Much like other varieties of quartz, mango quartz forms when super hot, silica-rich liquids solidify in cracks and crevices within rock. In this case, process halloysite (or possibly humboldtine) was present at when the quartz terminated.

Where Is Mango Quartz Found?

There is only one locality where mango quartz is mined and that is in Cabiche, Colombia. This area is essentially a roadside hole in the earth, though the larger district, the Boyaca Department, is world-renowned for mineral specimens.

Common Associations

Unsurprisingly, because of the extremely limited geographic range of this mineral’s formation, it doesn’t have any particular noteworthy associations. It does, however, form gnarly aggregations of crystals, making flashy display pieces that are always visually interesting.

Featured Photos

Mango Quartz Crystal Cluster - Cabiche, Colombia #188372

The Shocking History Of Mango Quartz

How Does Mango Quartz Form?

Where Is Mango Quartz Found?

Common Associations

Featured Photos