Etched crystalsThe surface of crystals record information on their long and tortuous geological jour
Etched crystalsThe surface of crystals record information on their long and tortuous geological journey to a collectors cabinet. One example would be the horizontal lines on quartz or corundum crystals that result from the crystal formation process. Many crystals are born in caustic mediums, whether hot lavas, cooling granites or by alteration or pre-existing rocks by hydrothermal fluids, which often eat away at the crystal surface during or after growth. These for pits called etch marks, that can give useful information on the identity of a crystal when for example it lacks a distinctive shape. The example in the photo is of the etched surface of an aquamarine crystal.LozImage credit: Joe Budd/Rob lavinsky.iRocks.com -- source link
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