Paphos Life

Today we had very good light conditions, so I decided to do some close ups from my Crystal collection...if you like it I will do more.

WOW, Lovely! Yes please, some more, very impressive!

As aphrodite said, Wow, they are stunning Max...lucky you.

HIGHLY impressive, thanks, Max! I have witnessed such rocky Crystal outcrops on the side of my good friend Dimitri's land up in Amargeti SE outskirts. With his permission, I grabbed a couple of small samples and popped them in my suitcase for the flight back to the UK.

They still reside in our back garden in Luton to this day... But when I first witnessed this natural marvel of nature in HIS back garden, with the Sun shining on it, it looked like a waterfall...

AL

Hi Max
These are great - Is it Quartz or some form of Rock Salt ? - The growing outcrops look very delicate are they easily broken off or quite strong ?

Some are Quartz, some Rocky Salt Crystals, some Gypsum. Very delicate, break very very easy.

Quartz ones are the ones to preserve, methinks?

Cyprusmax47

Absolutely fascinating - thank you so much for the pictures and yes please I would like to see more. I have a friend coming over in May/June who is very interested in rock formation and stones can you suggest where I can take her to see some please.

Rita

Cyprusmax47

Absolutely fascinating - thank you so much for the pictures and yes please I would like to see more. I have a friend coming over in May/June who is very interested in rock formation and stones can you suggest where I can take her to see some please.

Rita

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=885&p=9130#p9130

my post earlier of my Pyrite Crystals I found at the Memo Mine Troodos (Xyliatos area) years ago.

Please indulge us all.... thanks

In our garden. Sourced from Polemi.


Pete

I'm going to do a blog article about those Polemi crystals soon. It's a fascinating spot. I will also be asking Max to do a guest blog article about Cyprus crystals, as there is clearly an interest and he has some stunning photos...

Great idea. I'd like to know more about them, what they are made of and why they appear in what seems to be lone spots.

Pete

The type of crystals one can see on the photo from Pete is Gypsum. There is a very nice place to find them on the road from Stroumbi to Kathikas if you know where the OLD road was going. (1/2 way up, then a small road to the left where they used to damp rubbish in the past) Also easy to find nice ones at Letymbou, north of the very old church. Further if you continue the main road Letymbou towards Lemona, after passing the river 500 m to the right where sign is: Lemona 3 km. The two hills left and right of the road are full of this crystal formation. Further away on the main road to Amargeti, just 2 km before the village, again it is the old road to the left where you find 2 huge bolder with again different formation of Gypsum like fishbones.
If you draw a line on a map it is quite straight from Stroumbi to Amargeti in direction SSE where deposits are.

Pete got his from Polemi. I know exactly where too, as there is a cache there called "The Crystal Hills" which I did a few years back. It was the first time I visited Polemi. *sniff*

Quite so Dominic. A fascinating place where a short section of the road becomes "crystal".

Thank you Cyprusmax47 for sharing your knowledge. Something else to look out for on those days out (and between geocaches!)

Pete

They're Fab, Max!

I daren't show them to my friend though as she will be very disappointed that we're no longer living in Cyprus and that she won't be able to come out for a visit to stay with us and have a look at the place....

Dominic



This is the most important rock known in Cyprus of twinned swallowtail crystals(3-4 m high) near Elediou towards Amargeti on the bit of the old road. Unfortunately people come with tools to knock pieces off. It is Selenite Gypsum (formed 6 mio years ago.)

I was just going to ask for info on the Polemi crystals! Like Dominic it was geochaching that took me there, it was very interesting but had no idea about what type, why it's there etc.