Chrome Mica on Quartz

This specimen consists of pale to milky quartz hosting fine green flakes of chrome mica, commonly known as fuchsite. The green coloration is produced by trace amounts of chromium substituting within the mica structure. In the Takaka–Parapara region, fuchsite commonly forms in metamorphosed ultramafic or chromium-bearing rocks, where silica-rich fluids introduce quartz during metamorphism.

The fuchsite occurs as disseminated platy crystals rather than large sheets, giving the quartz a subtle green sparkle under light. This association is characteristic of metamorphic environments where chromium is present and provides a clear example of trace-element colouration in rock-forming minerals.

40 x 32 x 25mm

63g