Hello fellow rockhounds and mineral enthusiasts!
Today I would like to share some beautiful pictures of some top quality Grape Chalcedony from Manakarra Beach, Mamuju Area, Sulawesi Barat Province, Sulawesi, Indonesia! These are some of the best quality pieces of this material that we have seen so far, as most is either duller in color / luster or is damaged, or both.
This material is called "Grape Chalcedony", but it is really just purple Agate, which is a variety of Quartz with very fine crystal grains and usually a banded appearance as well (but not in the case of these). This material could technically also be called Amethyst, since Amethyst is just purple crystalline Quartz. The "Grape" in the name comes from the deep purple color and also because the crystals form in botryoidal (rounded) masses which have the appearance of a bunch of grapes on a vine!
While they are typically purple in color, some are also green, or a mix of green and purple. I like to think of those as the unripened grapes!
The most desirable pieces of this material have deep purple color, large crystal balls, and a sparkly, satiny luster that is the result of a layer of microscopic clear quartz crystals coating the surface! Some pieces also have contrasting small lighter purple spheres and/or small clear double-terminated (crystal tips on both ends) Quartz crystals on top as well! You don't have to be a mineral lover to appreciate the beauty of these! Each one is like a unique, one-of-a-kind piece of art created by nature, with intricate designs and gorgeous color!
I hope that you've enjoyed my Grape Chalcedony pictures and maybe even learned a bit about rocks and minerals in the process! If you liked my post, please upvote and comment below, and follow me for more rock & mineral content, memes and a mix of my random thoughts for the day!
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!
Best,
