My first encounter with these breathtaking amethyst crystals was in 1992 when I visited a mineral dealer, Marco Scherier from Renningen. It was a play of luck that just a few days earlier he received a fresh lot of amethyst from Mexico. The shelves in his shop were loaded with colorful specimens in a quality that could not be compared to anything that I had seen before. I was stunned by the electric purple color and the breathtaking luster of the amethyst crystals perched on a matrix of fine crystalline green epidote. A color combination that can only be made in dreams...

For years one could not find any decent report on where these crystals are actually coming from. No photos from the site nor of the lots from local dealers. So I decided to visit the place and bring out the story. The crystals come from the Piedra Parada, a small village in Vera Cruz state of Mehiko. The crystals are offered in lots - either you buy a whole or you leave with nothing.

The specimen here comes from a lot from La Loma (the hill), where the amethyst crystals often form 'gallos', groups of crystals reminiscent of rooster crests. These are most wanted by collectors. With their clarity and high  luster the amethysts from this Mexican locality are probably the world's most attractive species of this quartz variety. It is a complete floater, nice brilliant color, and stands nicely.