{"title":"Prase Quartz","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrase Quartz\u003c\/strong\u003e is a leek-green variety of macrocrystalline quartz, its color produced not by chemical substitution but by dense networks of acicular \u003cstrong\u003eactinolite\u003c\/strong\u003e inclusions (occasionally \u003cstrong\u003ecrossite\u003c\/strong\u003e) threaded through an otherwise colorless silica lattice. The name derives from the Greek word for leek, and the classic German mineralogical term \"Prasem\" already described this actinolite-included quartz over a century ago. Because the color is inclusion-based rather than a true structural variety, prase is mineralogically distinct from \u003cstrong\u003eprasiolite\u003c\/strong\u003e (heat-treated, iron-bearing green amethyst) and from \u003cstrong\u003eplasma\u003c\/strong\u003e (a green chalcedony), a distinction serious collectors and dealers are careful to maintain.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe type locality prized above all others is \u003cstrong\u003eSerifos Island\u003c\/strong\u003e in the Cyclades, Greece, particularly the skarn deposits near \u003cstrong\u003eMegalo Chorio\u003c\/strong\u003e (Mega Horio). Here prase quartz formed in calc-silicate skarn zones alongside \u003cstrong\u003ehedenbergite\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eandradite\u003c\/strong\u003e garnet, platy calcite, and sprays of metallic \u003cstrong\u003ehematite\u003c\/strong\u003e rosettes that often accent the green prismatic crystals. Serifos is uniquely famous for bicolor \"rocket\" crystals and scepters combining green prase bases with violet amethyst terminations, a pairing electron-microprobe studies attribute to two successive generations of actinolite growth followed by iron-driven amethyst coloration in the same fluid system. Material was worked intensively in the late 1980s and early 1990s and continues to surface from renewed digging, making fine Serifos prase-amethyst combinations among the most sought-after Greek mineral specimens on the international market.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeyond Serifos, prase-colored quartz has been documented from scattered but notable occurrences, including the \u003cstrong\u003eVallone Stope\u003c\/strong\u003e at \u003cstrong\u003eCape Calamita\u003c\/strong\u003e on Elba, Italy, and the \u003cstrong\u003eSinerechenskoe\u003c\/strong\u003e skarn near Kavalerovo in \u003cstrong\u003ePrimorsky Krai\u003c\/strong\u003e, Russia, each yielding its own textures and inclusion assemblages within the broader \u003cstrong\u003eamphibole group\u003c\/strong\u003e. Historically, the varietal name was also applied loosely to leek-green micro-crystalline quartzite and jasper, though today the term is reserved by most collectors for genuinely included, gem-quality quartz crystals. For mineral collectors, prase quartz offers a rare combination of transparency, saturated natural green color, and visible fibrous mineral inclusions, qualities that place fine Serifos druses and scepters firmly among the classic, display-worthy specimens of the quartz family alongside amethyst, citrine, and smoky quartz.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"epidote-on-quartz-lustrous-crystals-khowrin-iran","title":"EPIDOTE \u0026 PRASE QUARTZ – Shiny Green Crystals from Khowrin Mountain, Iran","description":"\u003cp\u003eNatural Epidote on Quartz from Khowrin Mountain, Kuhandan Village, Saveh, Markazi Province, Iran. Attractive specimen featuring well-formed green epidote crystals associated with quartz matrix, showing strong natural luster and excellent crystal definition. Highly aesthetic collector piece from a classic Iranian locality.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 108 × 91 × 26 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 177 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Khowrin Mountain, Kuhandan Village, Saveh, Markazi, Iran\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45426156699757,"sku":null,"price":289.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/IMG20260217193740.jpg?v=1783190323"},{"product_id":"prase-quartz-with-hematite-serifos-island-greece","title":"PRASE QUARTZ – Green Crystals with Lustrous Hematite, Serifos Island, Greece","description":"\u003cp\u003eA naturally aesthetic association of green Prase Quartz crystals accented by lustrous, silvery-black Hematite from the historic skarn deposits of Serifos Island. The vivid green tone of the quartz contrasts beautifully with the metallic sheen of the Hematite, creating a striking two-tone specimen of genuine mineralogical interest from a locality now considered largely worked out.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 62 x 30 x 29 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 25 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Megalo Chorio, Serifos Island, South Aegean, Greece\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45456781115501,"sku":null,"price":199.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/IMG20260423223516.jpg?v=1784021401"},{"product_id":"prase-quartz-on-hedenbergite-rio-marina-elba-italy","title":"PRASE QUARTZ \u0026 HEDENBERGITE – Green Crystals on matrix, Rio Marina, Italy","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis aesthetic specimen combines numerous lustrous, deep green Prase Quartz crystals resting on a striking matrix of radiating (sheaf-like) Hedenbergite. The intense green tone of the quartz, caused by fibrous mineral inclusions within its structure, creates a bold visual contrast against the darker pyroxene matrix, highlighting the sharp geometry of each crystal. The piece comes from the historic skarn deposits of Rio Marina, Elba Island — a classic Tuscan mining district whose mines have been closed since 1981, making fresh material of this combination genuinely uncommon on today's market.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 96 x 96 x 74 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 363 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rio Marina, Rio, Livorno Province, Tuscany, Italy\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45737288106093,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/IMG20260715210149.jpg?v=1788063925"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.italmineral.com\/collections\/prase-quartz.oembed","provider":"ITALMINERAL","version":"1.0","type":"link"}