Quartz

📍Suttrop, Warstein, Soest, Arnsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Dimensions: 69 × 16 × 16 mm (glass tube)
*8 pieces

This set contains eight small, double-terminated quartz crystals neatly preserved in a glass tube, originating from the famous Suttrop area near Warstein in the Sauerland Mountains, Germany—a classic and historically significant locality well known among mineral collectors. These crystals were first discovered in the mid-1800s and soon earned the nickname “Suttrop Diamonds” (Suttroper Diamanten) for their flawless form and unique free-floating growth, unattached to any matrix.

The quartz crystals formed in ancient marl-limestone fissures through late-stage hydrothermal activity. Many exhibit a characteristic milky appearance, while some contain tiny inclusions of anhydrite or chalcopyrite. Interestingly, certain crystals are stained brown or black by local organic matter and even carry a faint “oily” scent—hence their quirky nickname among German collectors, “stinking quartz.”

Beyond their beauty, these Suttrop crystals represent a forgotten chapter of Germany’s mineralogical heritage. Once featured in many renowned museum collections, they are now less commonly seen—but remain a quintessential European classic, rich in geological and historical charm.