Red-Copper Sugar Amethyst Formation – Los Catalanes, Uruguay – 70 g

A distinctive Red-Copper Sugar Amethyst Formation from the Los Catalanes Gemological District of Artigas, Uruguay, featuring an intensely textured microcrystalline surface in warm copper, russet, rose-brown, and smoky red tones. Mounted upright on a custom display base, this compact specimen presents an unusually architectural crystallized cavity measuring approximately 3 inches tall.

The primary display face is covered with exceptionally fine druzy quartz. Thousands of minute crystal terminations create the characteristic sugar-like texture, producing concentrated copper, champagne, silver, and pale-pink flashes beneath directional lighting.

The coloration is particularly unusual. Instead of conventional violet amethyst, the formation ranges from muted rose and reddish brown to warm copper and bronze. These colors are visually consistent with natural iron-bearing mineralization, jasper-like layers, or oxide coatings associated with the quartz. The exact coloring agents have not been analytically confirmed.

Scattered across the finer druzy are larger secondary crystals and rounded crystal-covered structures. Their differing sizes and orientations break up the surface, creating a rugged mineral landscape rather than a uniformly flat coating.

One side contains several small circular formations with pale cream rims and darker centers. A larger tubular projection extends horizontally from the cavity wall, revealing the same rounded architecture on a more prominent scale. These unusual structures appear to represent cross-sections and preserved portions of earlier stalactitic or tubular mineral growth.

Around the crystallized interior is a strongly contrasting layered rind. Bands of pale cream, yellow-green, charcoal, gray, and golden tan follow the edge of the former volcanic cavity. These agate-, chalcedony-, and jasper-like layers are especially visible around the lower perimeter and narrow side profile.

The reverse has been cut relatively flat and retains visible preparation lines across the tan-to-copper host material. This prepared surface reveals the specimen’s thin profile and provides a clear contrast between the dense supporting rind and its richly crystallized interior.

Measuring approximately 1.5 × 1.5 × 3 inches and weighing 70 grams, this compact mounted specimen combines intense sugar-druzy sparkle, uncommon copper-red coloration, tubular mineral structures, layered green-and-cream silica, and a ready-to-display upright presentation.

Specifications

Mineral: Amethyst and druzy quartz with chalcedony- and jasper-like silica

Trade Name: Red-Copper Sugar Amethyst

Formation: Fine druzy-lined cavity section with rounded and tubular mineral structures

Locality: Los Catalanes Gemological District, Artigas Department, Uruguay

Weight: 70 grams

Dimensions: Approximately 1.5 × 1.5 × 3 inches

Color: Copper, russet, reddish brown, smoky rose, bronze, champagne, cream, yellow-green, charcoal, and golden tan

Crystal Habit: Extremely fine druzy quartz with scattered larger crystals and rounded secondary growth

Primary Display Face: Densely crystallized cavity surface with strong warm-toned coloration

Tubular Formation: Horizontal crystal-covered projection extending from the cavity wall

Circular Features: Pale-rimmed rounded structures with darker centers, consistent with cross-sections through earlier tubular or stalactitic growth

Rind: Layered cream, green, gray, charcoal, and tan silica surrounding the crystallized interior

Copper Coloration: Visually consistent with natural iron-bearing mineralization, jasper-like material, or oxide coatings; exact composition has not been analytically confirmed

Reverse: Relatively flat prepared host surface with visible cutting or shaping lines

Luster: Vitreous and densely sparkling across the crystal surface; waxy-to-glassy across the chalcedony-rich layers

Transparency: Transparent-to-translucent microcrystals over predominantly opaque supporting material

Chemical Composition: Primarily SiO₂

Crystal System: Trigonal for crystalline quartz

Mohs Hardness: Approximately 6.5–7

Mounting: Affixed to a custom display base produced in-house

Display: Elevated upright collector specimen

Condition: Natural geological specimen with inherent fractures, incomplete crystals, cavities, surface deposits, tubular growth structures, color variation, irregular edges, and preparation marks associated with extraction, cutting, and shaping

Exact specimen shown

About Red-Copper Sugar Amethyst

Sugar amethyst is a descriptive collector term for amethyst and quartz formations covered by extremely fine secondary crystallization. The miniature crystal faces produce a sparkling texture resembling granulated sugar rather than the larger individual points associated with conventional amethyst geodes.

The unusual copper-red appearance does not indicate the presence of metallic copper. Warm red, orange, brown, and golden colors in quartz-bearing formations are commonly influenced by iron-rich mineralization, oxide coatings, jasper-like material, or inclusions deposited during different stages of growth.

“Red-Copper” is therefore used as a visual color description rather than a definitive mineral identification. Without analytical testing, the coloring material should not be identified specifically as hematite, goethite, or native copper.

The amethyst and agate deposits of Los Catalanes developed inside cavities within ancient volcanic rock. Silica-rich fluids deposited successive layers of chalcedony, agate, jasper-like material, quartz, and amethyst. Later mineralizing events could coat the earlier surfaces with new generations of extremely fine quartz.

The rounded and tubular features preserved within this specimen are especially compelling. These structures may have developed around earlier mineral growths or along small fluid pathways before being coated by later druzy crystallization. Their exposed centers allow the internal architecture to be viewed directly.

“Sugar” describes the specimen’s microcrystalline surface, while “Red-Copper” refers to its dominant visual palette. Neither term represents a formally recognized mineral variety or artificial treatment.

Protect the specimen from impacts and prolonged exposure to intense direct sunlight. Handle it by its custom base and clean the delicate druzy only with a soft, dry brush or gentle air blower.

Collector Notes

This specimen features:

• Natural amethyst and quartz from Artigas, Uruguay
• Los Catalanes Gemological District locality
• Distinctive red-copper sugar-amethyst coloration
• Extremely fine microcrystalline druzy
• Thousands of reflective miniature quartz faces
• Copper, russet, rose-brown, and bronze tones
• Champagne and pale-pink flashes under focused lighting
• Scattered larger secondary crystals
• Rounded crystal-covered formations
• Prominent horizontal tubular projection
• Multiple pale-rimmed circular structures
• Visible cross-sections through earlier mineral growth
• Layered green, cream, gray, and charcoal silica rind
• Strong contrast between the crystallized face and prepared reverse
• Thin, architectural cavity section
• Compact 70-gram collector size
• Approximately 3-inch upright presentation
• Multiple attractive viewing angles
• Custom display base produced in-house
• Elevated, ready-to-display presentation
• Exact specimen pictured

Perfect for collectors of Uruguayan amethyst, Artigas minerals, sugar amethyst, red amethyst, copper-colored quartz, iron-influenced minerals, druzy quartz, unusual stalactitic structures, mounted minerals, and locality-focused specimens.

Professionally packaged and shipped from Colorado.

You will receive the exact specimen shown.

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