Quartz crystals have long been recognized for their healing qualities, renowned for boosting energy levels and regulating body functions. Not to mention they make beautiful decorative gems! Quartz comes in an array of vibrant hues and patterns.

Like other elastic materials, quartz exhibits elastic behavior when deformed mechanically. Different cuts or orientations of crystal provide different expansion-frequency combinations which have been named according to their resonant frequencies:

What Is Quartz?

Quartz is an abundant mineral on Earth, widely utilized not only in jewelry but also as the foundation for crystal-controlled timepieces and glass production. Quartz’s distinctive hues and inclusions have attracted people for centuries.

Quartz can occur as either pure, transparent crystals or in cryptocrystalline forms that appear opaque or waxy. Furthermore, it can form macroscopic aggregates like feldspar and quartzite.

Quartz can be found in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Physically and chemically resistant to weathering, it forms the grains found on beaches and river beds as white sand. While it often gets mistaken for calcite, quartz can be distinguished by its hardness, lack of cleavage, cold texture and hard surface area – characteristics often mistakenly misattributed to calcite.

Origin

Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth, occurring naturally in both igneous rocks and environments containing geothermal waters. Being physically and chemically resistant to weathering, deposits of weathered material often form over time in river beds or beaches containing quartz sand deposits.

Quartz has long been esteemed for its beauty and spiritual qualities. It is said to promote healing, balance and clarity of thought; Ancient Greeks called this mineral “krystallos,” meaning “ice,” which later stuck.

Quartz can take on various hues as its host rock’s chemical balance changes slightly, such as when its color shifts slightly from what would have been expected. Flint quartz, jasper, onyx and strawberry quartz are common variations; conundrum quartz and strawberry quartz are variations with specific mineral inclusions.

Purity

Quartz crystals with high chemical purity, thermal stability and optical clarity are an invaluable material in modern technologies for electronics, solar energy and precision manufacturing. These materials can either be extracted from natural deposits with inherent high purity or manufactured using an electronic-grade seed crystal as part of a process called crystallization.

Quartz crystal is often clear; however, minor impurities can alter its hue to produce various shades. Quartz scores 7 on Mohs scale of hardness, is cold to touch and has visible spectrum reflection of light rays reflected back from it.

Erliway Rose Quartz crystals boast a natural, rugged appearance with pits and fissures typical of raw gemstones, creating an authentic natural aesthetic. Customers have expressed appreciation for these large size stones which make great choices for tumbling, cabbing, decorating or healing purposes.

Colors

Quartz crystals come in an assortment of colors. Rock crystal, citrine, amethyst rose quartz smoky quartz agate carnelian and hematite are some examples.

As they form, crystals may become discolored due to impurities and mineral inclusions which alter their colors during formation. A pure, clear quartz (rock crystal) may remain pure white while other minerals present within its crystal structure may add hues of various hues that alter its hues.

Prase, for instance, is a microcrystalline form of quartz with vibrant apple green hues caused by nickel inclusions. Chrysoprase displays similar hues with smooth, waxy surfaces and rich green colors reminiscent of an antique gemstone’s waxy sheen; both varieties have long been prized decorative objects and jewelry since antiquity. Rutilated quartz contains needle-like inclusions of rutile material which reflect light back off their surface in an attractive star pattern that make up its surface.

Properties

Quartz crystal’s piezoelectric properties can be leveraged to build electronic circuits. When mechanically stressed (pressed), quartz generates an electric current. This effect makes quartz an invaluable component in frequency control devices and electronics that remove electromagnetic frequencies from signals.

Quartz grows anisotropically, with four distinct growth regions known as +X, -X, Z and S. Of these zones, +X and -X contain higher impurity levels than Z does.

Some jaspers feature beautiful patterns resembling ocean waves or rolling hills, found worldwide. Chrysocolla mixed into quartz forms blue agate known as scenic or picture jasper. Heat treatment lightens smoky quartz and amethyst; sometimes producing rainbow sheen effects on some pieces.