Just Authentic Crystals from the Swiss Alps !
🏔️ A Team of Crystal Hunters !
💎 Gwindel, Tessiner, Morion & more nice quartz…
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We are in TOKYO !
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TIMA Show
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October 1-5
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We are in TOKYO ! ✳︎ TIMA Show ✳︎ October 1-5 ✳︎
Our Specialty
Tessiner Habitus
The “Ticino” habitus (or Tessiner Habitus in German) refers to a rare and highly distinctive morphology of quartz crystals typical of the Swiss Alps, particularly the canton of Ticino and the Saint-Gothard massif.
Physical characteristics : Slender shape : The crystals have a very steep, pointed rhombohedral shape. Reduced prismatic faces: The prism faces are short or taper toward the top, giving the rhombohedral faces visual prominence. Horizontal striations: The faces frequently display distinct horizontal striations or grooves.
Origin and geology : Alpine fissures : These quartz crystals form in alpine-type cavities under the influence of specific hydrothermal fluid circulation.
Locations : They are found primarily in the southern part of the Gotthard Massif, the Piora Valley, the Bedretto Valley, and sporadically in the Binn Valley.
Single Stick or ClusterBlack Smoky Quartz - MORION
Swiss morion quartz is a variety of black quartz that is opaque or only very slightly translucent; its dark color results from natural radiation associated with radioactive rocks in the Alpine massifs. Its habit (external form) most often takes the form of elongated or stout hexagonal prisms, sometimes found clustered in the cracks of Alpine rocks.
Origin and Characteristics : Color : Dark black to jet black, sometimes very dark brown along the fine edges, caused by natural radiation affecting the crystal lattice.
Swiss Deposits : Frequently found in Alpine regions, particularly in the cantons of Valais, Uri, Graubünden, and Bern.
The Habitus shape and termination : Well-formed prisms with faces often striated horizontally. A six-sided pyramidal cap, sometimes modified by slow growth conditions in hydrothermal cavities. Shape Variations : Biterminated forms or unusual crystal habits associated with the high pressures of mountain formation are sometimes encountered.
Single Stick, Cluster or BiterminatedClear, Smoky or with ChloritGWINDEL
A Gwindel quartz is a rare variety of alpine quartz characterized by a twisted, flattened growth pattern in the shape of a spiral or ribbon, resembling a twisted sugar cube. Highly sought after in Switzerland, these crystals possess a unique habit resulting from a deviation of the growth axis within alpine fissures.
Characteristics of the habit : Helical shape : The crystals do not grow straight but undergo a continuous and gradual rotation of their crystal axis. Ribbon-like or “sugar-like” appearance: The stacking of the axes results in a flattened structure, sometimes shaped like a comb or a magnifying glass. Chirality : The twist can be left- or right-handed depending on the quartz’s structure.
Distinctive features of Swiss Gwindel quartzAlpine origin : They are found primarily in the high-altitude crystalline massifs of the Alps (particularly in Switzerland and in glacial regions such as the Tiefen). Smoky hue: They frequently exhibit a natural smoky color due to the irradiation of the surrounding granite rocks over time.