Morion – Val Giuv, Graubünden, Switzerland

 Quartz Var. Morion is the name given to the particularly dark smoky quartz. In this wonderful crystal from the Swiss Alps, the almost black crystal shows a very beautiful reddish brown color in transmitted light. The flawless purity of this alpine classic is also visible in transmitted light.
 The prism surfaces of the sharp-edged crystal have a mirror-like shine, the end surfaces are slightly matte, probably due to contact with chlorite. This contrast between the surfaces gives this collector's item a particularly beautiful dynamic.
 At the base the Morion still has some matrix and snow-white adularies.
 The Val Giuv, near Sedrun in the Surselva in the canton of Graubünden, has always been synonymous with the special color and quality of Swiss smoky quartz, which distinguishes it from other quartz. The crystals are recovered by hand by the so-called prospectors under the most difficult conditions at an altitude of around 3,000 meters.
 Smoky quartz often occurs together with adularia, creating a wonderful contrast between the opaque white of the adularia and the brownish transparency of the smoky quartz.