I showed it to my companion and explained that a calcite vein could be a possible indicator of a crystal-bearing cavity. Together, we followed the course of the vein. After about half a meter, we noticed some chlorite appearing alongside the calcite. Once again, I pointed it out to my companion — this was an even stronger sign of a potential cavity. Using my rock pick, I struck the spot. A roughly 10 cm wide piece of green schist broke loose and fell aside. Right where I had removed the rock, the intact tip of a rock crystal suddenly came into view. We looked at each other in surprise — such a find is rare. I assured my companion that this was a real stroke of luck and that crystal hunting usually involves many failed attempts and countless trips with no noteworthy finds.

The quartz crystal was embedded in a small cavity filled with clay and chlorite. Since only the tip was protruding, I began to carefully remove the surrounding green schist. With hammer and chisel, the work went surprisingly smoothly, as the rock in that area was already weathered and riddled with cracks. To my delight, the crystal kept growing larger. Before long, I had completely uncovered it — during its growth, the crystal had nearly filled the entire cavity. Smaller crystals growing from the sides hadn’t had enough room to fully develop their tips. Fortunately, the large crystal had just enough space to grow to full size. Had it been just one centimeter longer, its tip would have hit the cavity wall and its growth would have been impaired.

No other rock crystals were present. Only a few isolated patches of calcite had crystallized on the green schist. However, due to numerous chlorite inclusions, the calcite was brittle and of no interest to collectors.