About Crystal

Quartz

The colorless, transparent variety of quartz. Quartz is composed of silicon dioxide, the most common mineral in Earth’s crust after ice and feldspar. The name “rock crystal” emerged in the Middle Ages to differentiate it from colorless glass. The Greeks called water-color crystals, hence the name “crystal.” The name quartz comes from Old German, but its origins are unknown. Metaphysically, quartz is used for power, communication, and cleansing. Fine specimens of quartz are found worldwide in Arkansas, Brazil, and Madagascar.

Smoky Quartz

One of the many smoky quartz family members is the light brown to nearly black variety of crystalline quartz. Typically found at higher elevations, this quartz gets its smoky color from natural radiation caused by gamma rays. Metaphysically, smoky quartz is used for grounding. Fine specimens of smoky quartz are found in Brazil, USA, Switzerland, and Africa. Metaphysically, it is used for protection and grounding.

Rutile

Rutile is one of the five forms of titanium oxide. It often forms an accessory mineral as needle-like inclusions within other minerals, such as quartz. It comes in various colors: commonly gold, red, black, and brown. Rutile was first discovered in the 1800s by a German geologist and is often found in localities such as Australia, South Africa, and Ukraine. Metaphysically, rutile strengthens the aura and promotes love.

Tourmaline

Alternate October Birthstone (pink tourmaline)

Tourmaline is a crystal silicate mineral with the broadest color palette of any mineral group. The name derives from the Sinhalese turmoil, meaning many-colored gems. Bi-colored and multicolored crystals are common, reflecting variations of fluid chemistry during crystallization. Each color has its mineral name, including rubellite (red, pink), indicolite (blue), very elite (green), dravite (brown), and schorl (black). Tourmaline is found in Sri Lanka, Brazil, and California. Metaphysically, school is suitable for protection, rubellite for matters of the heart, very elite for prosperity, dravite for self-healing, and indicolite for intuition.

Rose Quartz

Rose quartz is the translucent to transparent pink variety of crystalline quartz. Commonly found as a massive aggregate, it is rarely seen as crystals. Its coloration has been attributed to traces of titanium, while its milky appearance may be due to inclusions of rutile, which can also give asterism (a star-shaped figure) to the stone. Metaphysically, rose quartz is the stone of unconditional love and is used for emotional healing. Rose quartz can be found in the USA, Brazil, Madagascar, and Sweden.

Amethyst

February Birthstone

One of the many members of the quartz family, amethyst, gets its beautiful purple hue due to traces of iron. Deriving its name from the ancient Greek amethysts, amethyst translates as “not drunk” and was once believed to protect one against drunkenness. Many religions worldwide have at one time or still consider amethyst helpful in bringing one to a higher spiritual state and thus closer to god. Amethyst today is still used for spirituality and is regarded as the #1 addiction recovery stone. Amethyst is abundant in Brazil, Africa, Uruguay, Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.A.

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