Amethyst
 
Locality: Jozini, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
 
Size: 70 mm x 43 mm
 
A beautiful small geode of these South African Amethyst geodes known from Northern KwaZulu-Natal, associated with the Lebombo Mountains.
 
Amethyst is a beautiful violet to purple variety of Quartz. It is said to have formed when iron impurities in the Quartz was exposed to gamma irradiation. These Amethyst crystals that formed as geodes in Uruguay, are amongst the most intense purple specimens.