White quartz crystals with white rhodocrosite, from Peru

Peru has many treasures in its basement. Pyrite of course, but also many quartz and rhodochrosite deposits, especially in the regions of Huancavelica and Ancash. Quartz deposits are also abundant in these areas, often found in hydrothermal veins. and sometimes a secondary crystallization of another mineral partially covers the first crystals. This is the case here with white rhodocrosite, which gives a snowy appearance to these quartz crystals, depending on the direction in which they are viewed. The white coloration of this rhodochrosite, is due to the absence of iron or manganese which typically give the rhodochrosite its pink hue. This white variant is particularly rare.