Nicknamed "The Spire" by its former owners, this is a breathtaking natural sculpture that showcases at least five generations of crystal growth, one after the other. The piece is near-pristine with only one clean single repair near the base (considered acceptable in such pieces). Unusual in size, symmetry, and in the rich purple hue, this is a perfect example of how nature creates complex mineral sculptures from simple crystal components, where the result is much greater than the sum of the parts. Originating from 100 million year old volcanic deposits in the Brazil/Uruguay border region, "The Spire" is a tall hexagonal tower rising dramatically from a matrix of smaller amethyst crystals. What makes this tall crystal remarkable, is that the spire shape is not an original amethyst or quartz shape, but rather that of another mineral -- Aragonite. The amethyst, through intense chemical and physical processes when it formed, coated and replaced an older crystal of aragonite, while keeping the original shape. Such a masterpiece of form is not created in quantity - this is an outlier, unique among a large quantity of more typical amethyst specimens from the region, and miraculous in its survival and preservation. 50 x 27 x 26 cm (19.6 x 10.6 x 10.2in.) and 25 lbs

Ex Mary Fong Walker and James Walker collection