Defacing the art of Mother Nature?
Not really... but rather the arrow marks the location of an important inclusion in this crystal! It is a Enhydro Quartz Crystal .
Technically speaking, an enhydro is "a hollow nodule or geode of chalcedony containing water, sometimes in large amounts" per the The American Geological Institute’s Glossary of Geological Terms. As such, these crystals are actually not enhydros but more accurately referred to as "quartz with bubble fluid inclusion".
These crystals formed millions of years ago (220-400 million years ago by some estimates) as the edges of the quartz formed faster than the center. As this happened, troughs were formed that trapped the water solution or other foreign matter. When these troughs were covered by more crystal growth, the captured water (sometimes salt water or other liquid) would "gas out" or cool and contract and a bubble would form in the liquid.
Enhydro water bubble quartz is a true spectacle of nature. Being able to see gas bubbles move in solid rock that was formed millions , or perhaps even billions, of years ago is hard to imagine but enjoyable to watch!
No comments:
Post a Comment