Tangerine Quartz with Hematite Coating – Minas Gerais, Brazil – 0.65 lbs

A vibrant Tangerine Quartz cluster from Minas Gerais, Brazil, featuring sharply terminated quartz crystals covered in naturally occurring orange hematite. Saturated tangerine, burnt orange, rust, and warm amber tones contrast dramatically with the specimen’s white-to-colorless quartz foundation.

The display face contains a dense, three-dimensional arrangement of crystals rising from a substantial pale quartz matrix. Several large points form the central crown, accompanied by numerous smaller crystals positioned around their bases and along the perimeter. Their varied orientations create an architectural cluster with attractive depth from multiple viewing angles.

Two prominent crystals stand near the center of the formation. One presents a broad, richly colored prism with a sharply defined termination, while the adjacent point is more translucent and reveals mottled hematite deposits, internal veils, and areas of clearer quartz beneath its orange surface. Light passing through these crystals produces glowing shades of honey, copper, and deep tangerine.

Additional elongated points extend horizontally and diagonally across the cluster. These crystals display well-defined hexagonal prisms, geometric terminations, reflective faces, and naturally stepped growth details. Some are evenly saturated with orange hematite, while others retain clear or milky areas where the coating becomes thinner or discontinuous.

The hematite is especially striking because it does not conceal the quartz completely. Transparent and translucent sections remain visible beneath the iron-oxide coloration, allowing the specimen’s internal features to show through. Fine inclusions, mineral particles, veils, growth zoning, and reflective internal surfaces give the larger points considerable character.

Across the lower portion, brilliant orange crystals emerge through a contrasting field of white and colorless quartz. The pale matrix contains crystalline ridges, intergrown points, broken cavity surfaces, and scattered areas of hematite staining. This transition from cool white quartz to saturated orange crystals gives the piece a bold two-tone appearance.

The reverse displays a very different geological surface. White crystalline quartz dominates this side, with blocky intergrowths, fractured cavity textures, and a remaining section of earthy tan-brown host material. Several orange-coated crystals are partly exposed between the pale formations, showing how the primary cluster continues into the matrix rather than existing only as a surface layer.

Measuring approximately 3.5 × 3 × 2.5 inches and weighing 0.65 pounds, this substantial small-cabinet specimen combines strong orange coloration, several large terminated points, extensive secondary crystallization, and an appealing natural matrix. It is an excellent display example of the hematite-coated quartz popularly known as Tangerine Quartz.

Specifications

Primary Mineral: Quartz

Coating and Inclusions: Naturally occurring hematite and associated iron-oxide mineralization

Trade Name: Tangerine Quartz

Formation: Cluster of hematite-coated quartz crystals on a white-to-colorless quartz matrix

Locality: Minas Gerais, Brazil

Weight: 0.65 lbs, approximately 295 grams

Dimensions: Approximately 3.5 × 3 × 2.5 inches

Color: Tangerine orange, burnt orange, amber, rust, copper, pale peach, colorless, milky white, and earthy tan-brown

Crystal Habit: Hexagonal quartz prisms with pyramidal terminations

Central Crown: Multiple substantial orange-coated quartz points with pronounced geometric terminations

Secondary Growth: Numerous smaller quartz crystals distributed between and around the larger points

Coating Distribution: Variable hematite coverage ranging from saturated orange surfaces to thinner translucent films and localized deposits

Matrix: White and colorless crystalline quartz with a remaining section of natural host material

Luster: Vitreous across exposed quartz faces, ranging from glassy and highly reflective to softly textured where hematite coverage is heavier

Transparency: Transparent to translucent in the larger quartz crystals, with milky and opaque areas throughout the matrix

Chemical Formula: SiO₂ for quartz; Fe₂O₃ for hematite

Crystal System: Trigonal for quartz and hematite

Mohs Hardness: Approximately 7 for quartz and 5–6.5 for hematite

Display Size: Substantial small-cabinet specimen

Condition: Natural geological specimen with inherent crystal contacts, incomplete secondary crystals, edge irregularities, internal fractures, inclusions, growth textures, mineral deposits, matrix fractures, and color variation associated with natural formation and extraction

Exact specimen shown

About Tangerine Quartz

“Tangerine Quartz” is a descriptive trade and collector name used for quartz displaying orange, reddish-orange, or rust-colored iron-oxide coatings and inclusions. It is not a separate mineral species or formally recognized variety of quartz.

The coloration on this specimen is attributed to hematite and related iron-rich mineralization deposited on and within the quartz. These deposits can range from extremely fine surface films to thicker concentrations trapped along crystal faces, internal fractures, and the spaces between intergrown points.

Because the coating varies in thickness, the crystals display several different visual effects. Heavily coated areas appear saturated orange or rust-red, while thinner deposits allow light to pass through the quartz and create translucent amber tones. Nearly colorless sections provide windows into the crystal interiors and emphasize the natural geometry of the points.

The sharp prisms and terminations developed as silica-rich fluids deposited quartz within open spaces in the host rock. Iron-bearing fluids or mineral particles introduced the hematite coloration during or after quartz formation. The precise sequence of growth and coating cannot be confirmed without specimen-specific laboratory analysis, but the uneven distribution preserves clear evidence of multiple mineralizing stages.

Hematite is an iron-oxide mineral known for producing red, orange, brown, and metallic gray coloration. Even when a coating appears bright orange, it may leave a reddish-brown streak characteristic of hematite. On quartz specimens, finely divided hematite can produce particularly vivid warm coloration without eliminating the quartz’s natural transparency.

The crystals should be handled by the solid matrix rather than the projecting points. Avoid soaking, chemical cleaners, and abrasive methods that could disturb natural surface deposits. Dust can be removed carefully with a soft, dry brush or gentle air blower.

Collector Notes

This specimen features:

• Natural hematite-coated quartz from Minas Gerais, Brazil
• Rich tangerine-orange and rust-colored mineralization
• Multiple substantial terminated quartz crystals
• Two prominent crystals forming a strong central crown
• Transparent and translucent areas beneath the hematite
• Deep amber and honey-colored illumination under directional light
• Well-defined hexagonal prisms
• Sharp pyramidal terminations
• Large reflective crystal faces
• Natural internal veils and mineral inclusions
• Variable hematite coverage across individual crystals
• Clear-to-orange color transitions
• Numerous smaller secondary quartz points
• Strong contrast between orange crystals and white matrix
• Extensive crystalline quartz across the reverse
• Remaining natural tan-brown host material
• Distinctive display interest from several angles
• Substantial approximately 295-gram size
• Exact specimen pictured

Perfect for collectors of Tangerine Quartz, hematite-coated quartz, Brazilian quartz, Minas Gerais minerals, orange crystals, iron-oxide inclusions, terminated quartz clusters, and colorful natural mineral specimens.

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You will receive the exact specimen shown.
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