diamond hill quartz enhydro phantom

Diamond Hill Quartz Prospect
Antreville, South Carolina

Specimens with Inclusions

(All specimens collected by Richard Jacquot unless otherwise noted)

Pictured here are various specimens with different types of inclusions in the crystals. Some can be explained and some have not yet been identified.

Phantoms are usually composed of other minerals, aluminum, goethite, hematite. During the crystal growth, one of these secondary minerals penetrates into the silica mix during the early stages of the crystals formation, when the secondary mineral "retreats" or is no longer in the mix, the quartz crystal resumes its growth process enclosing the phantom crystal outline within itself. Multiple phantoms within a crystal are caused when the secondary mineral "pulses" in and out of the quartz crystal at different times during the growth process.

Enhydros or, bubble fluid inclusions, formed millions of years ago. During the crystallization process, the edges of the quartz form faster than the center. When this happens, channels form that trap the water or other foreign matter. When these channels were covered by more crystal growth, the captured water, etc. would cool and contract and a bubble would form in the liquid.