A thread of light in the darkness

In a dim surrounding, these alunite crystals seem to glow by themselves. The photo was taken from the backside of a rock full of them [see the other image] and this precise line of crystals marks the end of that superior part of the rock.
Alunite’s crystal system is trigonal, which implies the formation of rhombohedral forms or, in this case, derivatives of it.  These formations can become very beautiful; if looked from the right angle, these little crystals almost seem to have been facetted and polished. Glowing in the faintest light, they resemble gemstones with a purple stain expanding inside one of them.

This purple would not be as intriguing if one looked cautiously at the superior part of the rock, where all the crystals are covered in a blurred violet cloak. The stain provides us quite enough information to know that this alunite may have been produced in a laboratory via alunite salts and some kind of organic tint with the rock as the crystal bed. Nevertheless, the result is awe-inspiring. The other image, however more imperfect, and covered with a glossy grainy screen, still has the lovely distinctive forms of alunite.

Author: Sergi Batlle