8" Smoky Amethyst Crystal Cluster - Diamond Hill, SC

The Diamond Hill Mine is located in the southern portion of the Appalachian Mountains in South Carolina. Erosion over millions of years exposed this 3-acre spot of mountain that produces some of the widest varieties of quartz variations in the world. Quartz variations such as amethyst, smoky, skeletal(elestial), milky, phantomed, iron and manganese oxide coated, and even aura quartz are know to have been deposited here through silica-rich hydrothermal processes. Other minerals including beryl, epidote, and garnet are known to come out of this location as well.

Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz (SiO2) that owes its violet color to natural gamma irradiation, iron impurities, and the presence of trace elements, which result in complex crystal lattice substitutions. It is considered a semi-precious gemstone, and just two centuries ago was considered to have a value on par with diamonds, sapphires, and rubies. The largest and best known amethyst deposits occur in southern Brazil and Uruguay, where they are found in hydrothermally-formed geodes, but many localities around the world produce an amazing variety of amethyst crystals and formations. They are almost always formed in medium- to high-temperature geological settings.

Smoky quartz is a grey-brown to black variety of quartz. This common name is derived from the appearance of smoke within the quartz crystal. Depending on the location and the chemicals present during formation, smoky quartz can appear opaque black, but it is typically translucent to some extent. It is believed that the quartz gains this color from a combination of natural irradiation and aluminum impurities.