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Lot 186W
Spectacular, Amethyst Geode Split on Stand
7 December 2016, 10:00 PST
Los AngelesSold for US$13,750 inc. premium
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Spectacular, Amethyst Geode Split on Stand
Minas Gerais, Brazil
Small amethyst geodes are frequently seen in the commercial mineral market, but rarity can be seen in this species as well as is evidenced by this spectacular split geode of prodigious proportions.
First identified in the 1600s, the term geode comes from French géode, which in turn, was derived from Latin and Greek word for "earth". Geodes form when mineral-rich waters enter a cavity in a rock which then undergoes a sudden change in pressure or temperature, causing crystals to form from the solution which line the cavity's walls. The present geode has been split into two in order to reveal the inward pointing violet purple crystals of amethyst lining the interior. Amethyst geodes are created over the millennia through the formation of gas cavities in lava tubes. The cavities then fill up with a liquid that contains small amounts of iron. Over time, this liquid forms crystals of amethyst. Crystals with a color that range from light lilac to deep purple are formed when there is a trace of iron in the liquid, resulting in amethyst geodes. The interior of this immense geode is entirely lined with very large, lustrous violet amethyst points measuring up to 3 inches(7cm) in height. Overall dimensions of each half geode with stand: 50 1/2 x 32 1/2in x 13 1/2in. Dimensions of half geode: 36 3/4 x 31 3/4 x 9in. Weighing 127 kg
Small amethyst geodes are frequently seen in the commercial mineral market, but rarity can be seen in this species as well as is evidenced by this spectacular split geode of prodigious proportions.
First identified in the 1600s, the term geode comes from French géode, which in turn, was derived from Latin and Greek word for "earth". Geodes form when mineral-rich waters enter a cavity in a rock which then undergoes a sudden change in pressure or temperature, causing crystals to form from the solution which line the cavity's walls. The present geode has been split into two in order to reveal the inward pointing violet purple crystals of amethyst lining the interior. Amethyst geodes are created over the millennia through the formation of gas cavities in lava tubes. The cavities then fill up with a liquid that contains small amounts of iron. Over time, this liquid forms crystals of amethyst. Crystals with a color that range from light lilac to deep purple are formed when there is a trace of iron in the liquid, resulting in amethyst geodes. The interior of this immense geode is entirely lined with very large, lustrous violet amethyst points measuring up to 3 inches(7cm) in height. Overall dimensions of each half geode with stand: 50 1/2 x 32 1/2in x 13 1/2in. Dimensions of half geode: 36 3/4 x 31 3/4 x 9in. Weighing 127 kg

