Victorian Goldfields Quartz & Pyrite Specimen – Rare Red, Pink & Purple Crystals in Brecciated Host Rock: Specimen 3

Notable Features

This 889 g quartz and pyrite specimen measures 5 × 4 × 3 in (Width × Length × Height) and is the finest piece in the collection to date. It showcases rare red, pink, and purple quartz crystals, alongside more common white crystals, producing a stunning color contrast. The quartz is set within a brecciated host rock, stained black in places and surrounded by a brown altered matrix. With high sulfidation, the specimen features huge sulfide clusters, including both pin-point speckling and large metallic flakes visible on the underside.

Sulfidation Level

High Sulfidation – This specimen contains abundant sulfides, including pyrite and chalcopyrite, forming large clusters, visible flakes, and dense pinpoint inclusions. The metallic enrichment adds strong visual sparkle and textural contrast against the vividly colored quartz.

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

Mineral Assemblage

• Quartz – rare red, pink, and purple crystals mixed with white

• Pyrite – abundant brassy clusters and large flakes

• Chalcopyrite – golden-brassy inclusions

• Tetrahedrite – dark metallic inclusions, likely contributing to black staining

• Iron oxides – responsible for red and pink hues, plus matrix staining

• 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 the Victorian Goldfields. Silica-rich hydrothermal fluids surged upward, shattering the host rock and cementing it with quartz and sulfides.

Unlike the massive milky quartz common across Victoria, this system cooled slowly, producing well-formed quartz crystals in rare red, pink, and purple hues alongside the more typical white crystals. Black staining in the brecciated host rock reflects secondary mineralization and weathering, while large sulfide clusters — dominated by pyrite and chalcopyrite — highlight the mineralizing system that historically produced gold, silver, and antimony.

Most of the gold and silver here is refractory, bound within sulfides, though rare specimens with visible free gold do occur.

This specimen is not sold as “gold ore.” It is a collector’s centerpiece, valued for its rare crystal colors, abundant sulfide enrichment, and brecciated host rock — a showcase-quality fragment of the Victorian Goldfields.