Strawberry quartz

On my first outing with my new rock club, the Moab Points & Pebbles,
we went to a site near Arches national park. I’m pretty sure I
found strawberry quartz, because I’ve used it before and it looks
really similar. Is there anyone I could send it to to confirm or
deny this? None of the “old timers” in the club have ever heard the
term “strawberry quartz” used and they’re callling it red moss
agate.

Wendy Newman
wendy@goldgraphix.com

Wendy - Usually strawberry quartz and red/pink moss agate are easy
to distinguish from each other. First, strawberry quartz is
crystalline, and the inclusions which give it the strawberry color
are crystalline also. This is in contrast with moss agate which is
not crystalline (crypto-crystalline) and has fibrous inclusions
giving it moss. There are distinctions in hardness between
strawberry quartz and moss agate, too, but the crystalline versus
non-crystalline structure is easier to see. Your best bet on getting
someone to make a visual evaluation is to take it to a good show,
where both minerals are for sale, and have a dealer who sells them
examine your find.

Jim Small
Small Wonders

Was: The gemstone bead business

There is a natural material called “strawberry quartz”. It is
expensive and not that pretty.

Diane
Dikra Gem Inc.