M299 - Angel Wing Quartz, Pseudomorph after Calcite, Georgia
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Very unusual specimens of what at one time was "Angel wing calcite", which is a fairly common calcite formation, but, through a process called mineralization has changed from calcite to quartz. These specimens are a ivory to light tan color. From Pike County, Georgia, this material was dug from the bank of a small creek and from the creek bed itself. Quartz. Hardness 7. Silicon dioxide.

The word pseudomorph means literally "false form". You look at this material and would guess that it is angel wing calcite, until you see how hard the material it. Unusual. Although the quartz is a hard material (I was unable to scratch it with my pocket knife.) the crystal shape is of these thin wafer-like plates that have formed together. very thin, very fragile wafer-like crystals, easily to break apart.

In preparation for putting these specimens up, I did some surfing on the web in an attempt to gather more information on this material. I found only one mention of the angel wing quartz and that was an article from the Georgia Mineral Society telling of a field trip the club had taken years ago. (The location now closed to collecting.) I found many places where the term "angel wing calcite" or "angel wing quartz" was being used, but in checking none of those sites had what could be called true angel wing quartz, that is, a quartz material that has the crystal formation of "angel wing calcite". Calcite is a calcium carbonate mineral and is 3 on the Mohs hardness scale while Quartz is a silicate mineral with a hardness of 7.

Some time after these calcite crystals had formed, they most likely became submerged in silica rich water, and were changed to quartz.

Weights: .30 pounds
.50 pounds

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