Hematite with Rutile Quartz - Brazil

This is a VERY unique specimen of rutile. Here are rutile crystals, which formed both in and out of quartz, on top of a layer of lustrous hematite, on top of a quartz matrix. The photos do not do this specimen justice. It is hard to not keep this one for ourselves!  Hematite is an iron oxide found virtually everywhere on Earth. This mineral is naturally gray or black in color and contains the same crystal structure as the mineral corundum. It gets its name from the Greek word "haima", meaning blood. This blood color comes from the wear off of iron over time. Hematite has been spotted in multiple deposits on Mars and can be magnetized through laboratory processes. Rutilated Quartz is a variety of quartz that contains inclusions of rutile. Its name is derived from the German word "quarz" meaning hard. Quartz can form in trigonal or hexagonal crystal systems depending on the temperature during formation. Crystallized quartz ideally forms a six-sided crystal terminating with six-sided pyr