Hematoid Quartz Sphere

745 Pound Hematoid Quartz Sphere

This monumental 24 1/2 inch hematoid quartz sphere weighs an extraordinary 745 pounds, making it an exceptional museum-caliber specimen of global rarity. The stone is formed of clear rock quartz enriched with hematite inclusions—minute flakes and threads of iron oxide—that produce dramatic patches of golden, reddish-orange and rust-brown coloration. These vivid red and yellow inclusions sparkle like flecks of metal when light strikes the surface, giving the sphere an intense, fiery vitality across its massive form.

Similar hematoid quartz specimens typically range from 2 to 6 inches in diameter, rarely exceeding 10 inches or 50 pounds. A sphere over 2 feet across and weighing 745 pounds stands in a nearly singular tier of size and presence—this masterpiece of nature ranks among the most exceptional quartz spheres known. Specimens of this scale, with balanced, vibrant inclusions formed over millions of years, demand exponentially higher prices per carat due to their extreme scarcity and near-impossibility of being found intact.

Hematoid quartz forms where iron-rich hydrothermal fluids circulate through rock fractures, cavities or vugs, depositing hematite and iron oxides inside or along growing quartz crystals. This creates internal red, orange, yellow or brown streaks, phantoms and clouds—vibrant colorations that inspired trade names like “fire quartz” (red) and “golden healer” (yellow-orange). Mined commercially in Brazil since the late 20th century, it also occurs in other countries, including the U.S., Switzerland, Africa and Germany, requiring a rare mix of iron-rich environments and precise geological conditions. Its use likely predates this, as red quartz-like stones with iron oxides circulated in ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern trade, often grouped with carnelian or jasper; by the 1800s, mineralogists had documented quartz with specular hematite inclusions.

24 1/2" diameter