Dauphiné Habit

The Dauphiné habit develops when the quartz crystals grow horizontally. One or two of the six faces on the pointed or rhombohedron faces are clearly more pronounced than the others. Due to the horizontal positioning in the pocket, the supply of material to the lower faces was lower and, accordingly, the growth rate in the Earth’s gravitational field was smaller.

Crystals from the vicinity of the Windgällenhütte in the Maderanertal are often called Windgällen-Habit. However, it was forbidden to go prospecting there for a long time.

Photo: Quartz (Dauphiné habitus), Windgällen, Maderanertal UR, collection Felix Spahr; not for sale.