Rutile

This ex-matrix Rutile crystal is from the Pfitsch Pass in North Tyrol, Austria and is a lovey example of a single chunky crystal showing off a textbook tetragonal crystal habit with a good termination.  The colour is almost black, with a metallic lustre, but on edges and small areas of the prism faces, translucent patches transmit flashes of reddish-clove brown when strongly lit.  Mounted vertically on a small clear acrylic base, this a lovely Austrian Rutile.