Quartz with Epidote, Hongquizhen (321 g)

Description

This compact, irregular block is dominated by dense coverage of dark green granular to bladed epidote across much of the rough surface, with scattered colourless to pale translucent quartz-like crystals visible between the green material. The specimen measures 9 × 9 × 3.5 cm and weighs 321 g, presented on a clear acrylic stand with no obvious polished faces. The overall texture is uneven and compact, with the epidote forming a granular-to-bladed coating over the host and quartz crystals showing translucent, colourless to pale tones. There is no visible polishing and no obvious damage noted to the visible surfaces. Quartz is silicon dioxide (SiO2) and commonly forms translucent to crystals in many geological settings; epidote is a common green calcium-aluminium-iron silicate mineral that frequently occurs alongside silicates in metamorphic and hydrothermal environments. Together these materials produce a contrasting combination of dark green granular epidote and lighter, translucent quartz on this Hongquizhen specimen.