Our specimens of compound-stalactitic quartz were collected in the Jalgaon District of the state of Maharashtra in the Republic of India. Maharashtra is part of the Deccan (DEH-kenn) Traps, one of the world’s largest volcanic regions. Our specimens are in the form of stalactites, which are defined as mineral formations resembling icicles that hang from the roofs of caves or cavities and that form from the crystallization of dripping, mineral-rich solutions. This definition assumes that stalactite formation takes place within an atmospheric environment. Our specimens of compound-stalactitic quartz, however, were formed in a fluid environment as the result of the slow, downward migration of silica-rich solutions that deposited quartz crystals on the roof of vesicles. These crystals then grew in a downward direction in keeping with the continued downward migration of fluids.