Quartz (Japan Law Twins) - JLM Claim, Passmore, British Columbia, Canada

An attractive quartz specimen featuring Japan Law twins from the JLM Claim near Passmore, British Columbia, Canada.

This specimen features an abundant growth of colourless to milky-white quartz crystals covering one side of a contrasting grey-green matrix. However, it is the Japan Law twinning of several quartz crystals that steal the show with this piece. Japan Law twins - a distinctive form of quartz twinning in which two crystals grow together at a characteristic angle - are relatively rare worldwide but the JLM Claim seems to have a relative abundance. 

This specimen was provided to us by Tra Scalami, the current owner of JLM and one of the great, up-and-coming British Columbia prospectors we work with. The quartz was completely coated in dark red-black iron oxides when we received it which were easily removed chemically without damaging the crystals. However, note that the main Japan Law twinned quartz does have a nick on it that occurred during its extraction from the mine.

The contrast between the delicate quartz crystals and the rugged natural matrix gives this specimen an appealing balance of crystal detail and geological character. Its documented Japan Law twinning, attractive crystal coverage and British Columbia locality make it an interesting addition to a Canadian mineral collection, particularly for collectors of unusual quartz crystal forms.

Minerals: Quartz
Locality: JLM Claim, Passmore, British Columbia, Canada
Crystal System: Trigonal
Mineral Class: Silicate
Provenance: Collected by Tra Scalami, owner of the JLM Claim
Dimensions: 7 × 5 × 4 cm