STRIATED

Striated is a term used to describe the crystal strucure some minerals possess.The striated simply means length-wise little rows/ridges.This occurance , amoung others, are often in Tourmaline, Beryl and Epidote

POINTS

Points is just the name given to a crystal with just one end  terminated(to a point)

PHANTOM

That Phantoms are still a little mystery. A crystal had already formed when an influx of newer Quartz mineral was present and grew oaround the other one.I seen a lot of "phony" ones for sale in Arkasas so be careful.You can usually look up through the bottom to tell.Also, if the black/grey coloring looks a little too uniform.

DRUZY

Druzy is just the term for the thin layers of tiny, sometimes micro-crystaline crystal.They usually are about all the same size and height. A common occurance of these may be in cavities. Azurite druzy's Malachite quite often.Some Petrified Wood has Druzy coatings of nearby minerals.

SCEPTOR

Sceptor This is one I mined in SW Montana.All 6 sides/facets reduced down to a straight, narrow stem attached to the host rock. Mine has a small crystal over it but you can still see it.

DOUBLE TERMINATED

Double-Terminated, or called DT's in the field, just have developed 2 terminated points; one on each end.The circu,stances have to be that these crystals usually form in cavities and solidify without being attached to the host rock. They are the best "amplifier"  of energy gemstone.You can put a positive charge on one end, it reverses the polarity, and has a negative charge on the opposite end.They were usued in 2-way radios, the old transistors and , still today, run some of our watches.Most of the major Quartz deposits we have in the US were orgionally explored for the war effort.

DENDRITES

Dendrites-

Cluster, or family as I call them-

RUTILATED QUARTZ

Inclusions- These are when other minerals were present when forming and cutting through anopther mineral. Rutilized Quartz would be an example of this formation.It simply means narrow streaks of the mineral Rutile are projecting through the Quartz. Tourmalated Quartz is on the same principle except the inclusion is Tourmaline instead of Rutile

GEODE

Geode-

Pseudo- This term is referring to when a certain mineral during it's formation picks up some crystal structure properties from an accompanying mineral. For example, Iron Pyrite has a cubic structure , as well as several others. Sometimes when minerals are solidifying and other minerals are present, this will occur.There might be a mineral referred to as such n' such , "after pyrite". This could mean that the minerals composing the stone had other minerals present during solidifcation, which altered it crystal structure; hence, another mineral forming the cubic structure of Pyrite.

Tabby. Crystals usally have the same facet width on all sides but ocassionally two opposite sides will form a lot wider than the other sides.The are tabularshaped, hence the nickname "Tabby".

Petrified wood-This is a term for wood whch has had some of it's molecules replaced with surrounding minerals. There are other sub-names such as "agatized wood" but that simply means that Agate replaced the wood & Opalized wood because the mineral present was Opal.

  May add more at a later date.

By Glenda Hughes