Smoky Quartz Gwindel from Mt. Blanc TD1582

Smoky Quartz Gwindel from Mt. Blanc
Approx. Dimensions: 4x3x3 inches
Approx. Weight: 501 grams
Locality: Talefre Glacier, Mont Blanc, France

This beautiful specimen of smoky quartz from Mt. Blanc has exceptional luster and a lovely smoky color. It features a large single point with a gwindel attached at the side. Overall this specimen is in excellent condition, and the bottom even has some healed crystalization.

A gwindel (pronounced g-Vin-dell) is not referring to a specific stone but rather a unique growth habit of quartz found only in Alpine-typical fissures. France, Italy, Russia, and most famously Switzerland are the most notable localities where gwindels are found. There are a handful of other localities but less than 12 countries in the world can boast their land has created one of these marvels.

There’s a lot to learn from the word itself about what exactly a gwindel is. The word is derived from the German adjective “Gewunden” meaning tortuous or full of bends and twists. Other translations for the word include twisted, spiraled, contorted, and…you get the idea. What makes this growth habit extraordinary is it’s twist around the a-axis specifically. It is not twisted due to any fracturing or shifting inside the pocket it grew in, nor is it twisted around a faden, rather it is twisted from a programing within, not environmental changes. In fact, gwindels are often found in pockets surrounded by normal habit crystals.

For more information about gwindels, head over to our blog at https://littlelemuria.com/blogs/the-lemurian-trigon/the-twisted-science-of-the-gwindel