Quartz Crystals Coloured by Hematite
Orange River quartz not seen that often in Europe is named after the river that runs through South Africa. The deep reddish orange colour of the crystals is caused by inclusions of hematite. These sit just below the surface of the mineral.
Starting in Lesotho and going on to form the border between South Africa and Namibia, the Orange River runs through the Northern Cape which is a mineral rich area of the country.
The distinctive colour of this Orange River Quartz means it will certainly stand out in any collection of rocks and minerals. Full of terminated crystals with a vitreous lustre, it interacts with light beautifully but sadly we haven't been able to capture that particularly well in our photos.
