Victorian Goldfields Quartz & Pyrite Specimen – Large Pink & White Crystals in Brown Host Rock: Specimen 1

Notable Features

This 834 g quartz and pyrite specimen measures 6 × 3.5 × 2.7 in (Width × Length × Height). It features large pink and white quartz crystals hosted in a matrix of brown to red altered rock, creating strong visual contrast. With a high sulfidation level, the specimen is enriched with abundant sulfides, making it both a striking collector’s mineral specimen and a geological record from the Victorian Goldfields.

Sulfidation Level

High Sulfidation – The specimen contains abundant pyrite with visible clusters and flecks intergrown among quartz crystals. Metallic inclusions enrich the crystalline structure, providing sparkle and texture against the pink and white quartz.

See how we rate sulfidation levels by visiting our FAQ section.

Mineral Assemblage

• Quartz – large, well-formed crystals in pink and white

• Pyrite – abundant brassy metallic clusters

• Chalcopyrite – golden-brassy inclusions among quartz faces

• Tetrahedrite – dark metallic inclusions adding contrast

• Iron oxides – responsible for pink crystal coloration and red-brown staining of the host rock

• Trace potential: arsenopyrite, stibnite, gold, silver, antimony

Note: Not every specimen contains the full mineral assemblage above. Minerals may appear in varying amounts, and each specimen is unique, chosen for its visual appeal and geological character.

Geological Story

This specimen formed during the Silurian Period (~440–420 million years ago), when tectonic forces fractured submarine fan sediments in what is now the Victorian Goldfields. Silica-rich hydrothermal fluids surged through these fractures, cooling slowly enough to allow crystalline quartz to develop instead of the massive milky quartz typical of most Victorian reefs.

In this case, the quartz crystallized as large pink and white crystals, enriched with abundant pyrite and chalcopyrite. The brown-to-red host rock records alteration from the same hydrothermal system, stained by iron oxides. These mineralizing processes historically made the Victorian Goldfields a target for gold, silver, and antimony mining.

Most of the precious metals in this district are refractory, locked within sulfides, though rare specimens containing visible free gold are known.

This specimen is not sold as “gold ore.” It is a collector’s specimen, valued for its large pink-and-white quartz crystals, abundant sulfides, and contrasting host rock — a true fragment of the Victorian Goldfields.