Radiating Quartz with Dendritic Chalcedony

This specimen consists of a radiating aggregate of quartz crystals partially intergrown with chalcedony containing dark, branching dendritic inclusions. These dendrites are caused by manganese and/or iron oxides precipitating along microfractures during silica deposition.

Although commonly referred to as moss agate, the material is more precisely described as dendritic chalcedony, as the inclusions are mineral growths rather than organic material. The radiating quartz texture suggests rapid crystallisation from silica-rich fluids, likely related to low-temperature hydrothermal or fluvial silica deposition within gravels of the Hinds River system.

The handwritten label naming G. Wakeham provides valuable provenance and indicates private or field collection, adding historical context to the specimen. Pieces like this are characteristic of Canterbury river systems, where repeated reworking concentrates silica-rich nodules and allows complex internal textures to develop.

55 x 58 x 40mm

139g