Amethyst geode – Uruguay

This amethyst geode comes from the Artigas region in northern Uruguay, where ancient Cretaceous basalt flows trapped gas bubbles that later became lined with violet quartz crystals. Its formation took place over about 120 million years, as silica dissolved in groundwater slowly accumulated within these volcanic cavities.
The purple hue of amethyst comes from iron oxides contained in the original solution, altered by natural radiation over time. The densely packed, well-formed crystals create a textured surface where light catches and scatters in multiple directions.
Mounted on a black base, this natural curiosity is one of those collector’s minerals that every cabinet of curiosities should include — a perfect meeting of geology and light