Golden Rutile from Brazil has become a staple in most worldwide collector’s repertoires, famous for the unique star shapes and other derivatives that form when the acicular rutile crystals nucleate on top of the lateral faces of tabular hematite prisms. This are often found accompanied or encased with in quartz crystals in varying size pockets that form in hydrothermal veins hosted in the metavulcanosedimentary units of the sierra do Espinhaço range in the Novo Horizonte area. In this case, this piece is one of the better examples of the material produced in the small mines that have been developed over the last 20 years since the area started to be worked. Consisting of a fairly nicely sized, completely flawless and transparent polished quartz “crystal” that features in its lightly smoky interior a complex surface formed by a mix of matrix and small hematite crystals from which long and refulgent sprays of golden rutile needles sprout and also over which a single rutile star with a well-defined center crystal of hematite aesthetically rests. Earlier, I used the word crystal with in quotes since I am not really sure whether the shape was natural to begin with since the quartz habit is a bit odd, but still, even as an imaginative creation this piece is certainly beautiful, having a really nice polish, and the inclusions and crystal clear quartz that envelopes them certainly being natural and unenhanced. Apart from this detail, the piece is flawless, with not the slightest scratch or crack on it. As for the cut gem it isn’t from the same crystal, but it definitely accompanies it nicely and while the cut isn’t perfect as it was probably done without proper tools it still shows off the interior rutile needles very nicely thanks in part to the strong windowing it has. Dimensions gem: 3,1cm x 1,7cm x 0,85 weight gem: 50ct