SMOKY QUARTZ

Smoky Quartz is a brown to black colored variety of quartz. It owes its dark appearance to millennia's old gamma irradiation acting upon the presence of trace aluminum within its crystal lattice. This natural irradiation over lengthy periods of time alters the aluminum's electron structure, creating "color centers” that absorb the light and give off its distinctly dark coloration.

SMOKY QUARTZ HISTORY AND USES

Historically, smoky quartz has been collected as an ornament and used as a gemstone for centuries, with interesting evidence to suggest its use as a lens in primitive sunglasses during the 12th Century, China. Additionally, smoky quartz has been used as an amulet of protection within ancient Egypt, as a symbol of transformation within Celtic mythology, and as a grounding stone for connecting with Earth energy within certain Native American cultures. Today, it is famously tied to Scottish culture and is known as Scotland’s National Gem, where it is called Cairngorm and is often used for the adornment of traditional attire, as well as for weapons crafted as a symbol of courage within local culture. Named after the Cairngorm Mountains, where it's been found for centuries, it is often used in traditional Scottish jewelry, such as kilt pins, brooches, and ceremonial sgian-dubh dagger handles. (pronounced skeen-doo)

QUARTZ

Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide), it has a Mohs hardness of 7, and it crystalizes in the trigonal crystal structure. It is so abundant, that it makes up about 12 percent of the Earth’s land surface, and about 20 percent of the Earth's crust. As a matter of fact, it is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust, behind feldspar. There are many different varieties of quartz, several of which are classified as gemstones. Since antiquity, quartz crystals have been the most commonly used minerals in the making of jewelry and ornament. It is also one of the most varied of all minerals, occurring in numerous forms, habits, and colors. Interestingly, quartz crystals have what is called “piezoelectric properties”; meaning, it has the ability to create an electric charge when applying mechanical pressure and friction. As an experiment, if you rub two pieces of quartz together in a dark room, the crystals will produce an electrical current and glow an orange color. Even more interesting, if you run a copper coil around or through a quartz crystal, and apply a stable electric current, you will receive upwards of 30% measurable energy increase. The ability to maintain a stable electric current makes them extremely useful in the application of keeping precise measurements, such as its uses of keeping time in watches and clocks.

QUARTZ HISTORY AND USES

The Ancient Greeks referred to quartz as krustallos, meaning "icy cold", because of the theory held by many esteemed philosophers that the mineral is a form of supercooled water, or permanently frozen ice. Theophrastus, the Greek philosopher and successor to Aristotle, and also, later, Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder, both believed quartz to be water ice that had been permanently frozen after great lengths of time. Pliny the Elder supported this idea by saying that crystals of quartz are found near glaciers in the Alps, but not on volcanic mountains. This idea persisted for roughly 1,600 years, until 17th century observations from Danish scientist, Nicolas Steno, paved the way forward for modern crystallography. He discovered that regardless of a quartz crystal's size, shape, or color, its long prismatic faces always joined together at a perfect 60° angle. This observation paved the way forward for scientists to begin research in crystal formation principles, observations and impact within polarized light, and the inevitable research that revolved around the principles of electrical mechanics.

By the 1930’s, most electrical devices had become dependent on quartz usage, creating a global race for the mineral’s extraction. However, only the purest forms of quartz crystals were able to be used in electrical mechanics, creating a dependency on the finest material being extracted almost exclusively from Brazil. As a result of interrupted supply chains during the second World War, scientists started working on the development of fully synthesized lab grown quartz crystals. A decade later, during the 1950s, hydrothermal synthesis techniques were producing synthetic quartz crystals on an industrial scale. Today, virtually all the quartz crystal used in modern electronics and industry is synthetic, while natural formations of quartz crystal are sought after for private collecting and jewelry making.

SMOKY QUARTZ METAPHYSICS

Metaphysically, smoky quartz is a powerful stone of the Root Chakra and is believed to enhance spiritual enlightenment, provide positive energy flow, and create a barrier of protection for its user. It is said that smoky quartz helps to provide grounding energy and a sense of personal calm when faced with overwhelming situations and circumstances. It has also been said that smoky quartz can be used as an EMF deterrent, gently repelling unhealthy and unwanted frequencies from the body’s natural electromagnetic field. Additionally, smoky quartz has long been considered a stone of protection and stability, with numerous historical cultures having been known to prescribe to these theories.

Physically, smoky quartz is said to enhance cognitive performance and concentration, as well as provide energy cleansing and detoxification to the vital organs of the body. It is also said to be a terrific aid for dispelling the mind of unnecessary worry, fear, and frequent nightmares.

*It should be noted, however, that differing variations of quartz have their own distinct metaphysical properties, most often based on their color and mineral composition.