{"title":"Prase","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrase\u003c\/strong\u003e is a leek-green variety of macrocrystalline \u003cstrong\u003equartz\u003c\/strong\u003e, its color owed not to its own lattice but to dense fibrous inclusions of \u003cstrong\u003eactinolite\u003c\/strong\u003e (an amphibole) and, in some deposits, \u003cstrong\u003ehedenbergite\u003c\/strong\u003e (a pyroxene) locked inside the crystal. Because these fibers interfere with normal growth, prase crystals often develop unusual elongated, tapering, or cigar-like habits instead of the classic hexagonal quartz prism, a quirk collectors use to help pinpoint origin. It forms almost exclusively in skarns, where hot silica-rich fluids from cooling igneous intrusions react with carbonate rocks, commonly alongside andradite garnet, epidote, hematite, and ilvaite.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe type locality is the \u003cstrong\u003eIsland of Elba\u003c\/strong\u003e, Italy, particularly around Rio Marina and Porticciolo, historically prized for fine leek-green material. Equally famous is \u003cstrong\u003eSerifos\u003c\/strong\u003e in the Greek Cyclades, whose slender, spindle-shaped crystals with hedenbergite or actinolite inclusions are considered the classic collector's prase. Other important sources include the \u003cstrong\u003eSinerechenskoe skarn\u003c\/strong\u003e near \u003cstrong\u003eDalnegorsk\u003c\/strong\u003e, Russia, with its sharp tapered crystals on andradite matrix, the \u003cstrong\u003eImilchil\u003c\/strong\u003e area of Morocco, and historic German finds near \u003cstrong\u003eBreitenbrunn\u003c\/strong\u003e in the Erzgebirge, alongside occurrences in China, Nepal, and the Ural Mountains.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTrue crystallized prase is genuinely scarce compared to ordinary quartz, and specimens with well-formed, lustrous, richly colored crystals on matrix are actively sought by systematic quartz collectors and skarn-mineral enthusiasts alike. Its combination of striking green color, unusual crystal morphology, and tightly restricted locality list makes prase a distinctive addition to any serious mineral collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/www.italmineral.com\/collections\/prase.oembed","provider":"ITALMINERAL","version":"1.0","type":"link"}