FADEN QUARTZ
ABOUT THE SPECIMEN
A simply magnificent cluster of quartz crystals from the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. A tabular faden crystal is surrounded by more sharp crystals jutting out in all directions. Many of these are grouped together symmetrically and at one point they make a clearly visible "keyhole" made by a chain of quartz. Just about all of the crystals are in perfect condition. There's a contact point on one of the larger crystals, yet it can easily be hidden without sacrificing any of the aesthetic value. On one side is a patch of chlorite, furthering the beauty found in this fine piece. It's incredible that such a large specimen was able to be extracted without any further damage!
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The Kharan District sits within the Makran accretionary prism and related fold-and-thrust belt of western Balochistan, where ongoing convergence between the Arabian and Eurasian plates generates the active low-grade metamorphic fracture environments that faden quartz requires. Formation is a crack-seal process: fissures opening incrementally in silica-saturated fluid-bearing rock cause quartz crystals to rupture and rapidly re-heal, trapping successive generations of fluid and gas inclusions along the fracture plane - the characteristic white thread - while clear faceted quartz grows outward on both sides. Fluid inclusion homogenization temperatures from Zhob region faden material indicate crystallization at roughly 140–147°C, consistent with diagenetic to low greenschist metamorphic conditions. Kharan crystals are typically tabular to platy floaters, doubly terminated, with the thread running parallel to the broad face; the finest examples are water-clear aside from the faden itself, and occasional chlorite coatings on the thread surfaces preserve direct evidence of the sequential crack-and-heal growth. The district also produces faden with curved or branching threads reflecting irregular fault movement - no two examples are identical. Pakistan material dominates the collector market for this variety, and Kharan in particular consistently yields larger, cleaner examples than competing localities in Afghanistan or the Alps.