Quartz Var. Amethyst with Prehnite and Analcime

This bright transparent Quartz has purple-zoned phantoms, and a rare combo of prehnite with Anlacime on the front face of the termination (it looks like a comet with the tail). There is also analcime on the side near the bottom of the main shaft. There is one small chip on the side, otherwise nothing else. This is a very unusual example from this location.

Crystals from this area are often misidentified as being from "Brandberg, Namibia," which is actually a deposit within a nature preserve in the same district. The Goboboseb mountains, in the Erongo region from which this cluster was found, is know for its remoteness, as the nearest water source is over 35 kilometers away. The host basalt has been dated to over 200 million years. I have discussed this with geologists, who have theorized that Quartz crystals from the Goboboseb mountains have probably been crystallized for that entire time!