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The word crystal comes from krystallos, the Greek word for “ice,” because it was believed that quartz crystal was ice that had permanently frozen. According to another variant, the Greeks believed that quartz was an ice formed by the gods, and that kyrstallos was the name given to the earthly palace of the gods that was built of ice that even the sun couldn’t destroy.
Color: Colorless
Chemical composition: SiO2 silicon dioxide
Mohs’ Hardness: 7
Transparency: Transparent
Luster: Vitreous
Fracture: Conchoidal, very brittle
Crystal system: Hexagonal (trigonal) with hexagonal prisms
Cleavage: None
Specific gravity: 2.65
Streak: White
Refractive index: 1.544-1.553
Dispersion: 0.013
Pleochroism: None
Fluorescence: None
Occurrence: Worldwide
Astrology: Connected with Capricorn and Leo
Chakra: All
Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in the Earth’s crust, and of all the different types of quartz, rock crystal is the most widely distributed. Clear quartz crystals range from completely transparent to “occupied” – that is quartz that contains phantoms or inclusions of other minerals (such as rutile) or even bubbles of liquid or gas. Although there are many varieties of quartz, including citrine, amethyst, aventurine, and rose quartz, rock crystal is the purest. Quartz veins usually occur when the hot silica-rich fluids reach beds of host rock such as sandstone, shale, and pegmatites. The finest quartz crystals are found in rock cavities or open veins, where the crystals had enough space to fully form. Clear quartz has been valued by almost every civilization and nearly always connected with magic and the occult. A Babylonian seal, dating to 2,000 B.C., bears an inscription stating that the crystal would bring good fortune and increase wealth. Quartz has been found in Egyptian temples dedicated to the goddess Hathor, and in Greek temple dedicated to the Hellenic mysteries. Oceanic and Australian shamans valued it as a “stone of light,” a piece of the celestial throne. In Rome, during hot weather, women carried polished quartz spheres to cool their hands. Polished crystal balls have long been used to gaze into the future and even to see into other realms. Shaman’s crystals have also been used to contain spirits and to bring fire and rain. In Nepal, clear quartz crystals were used to guide shamans through spirit journeys. Tibetan Buddhists considered clear quartz a symbol of a clear mind. In ancient Japan it was believed that quartz crystals formed from the breath of a white dragon.
Native peoples in the American Southwest valued quartz crystals for a variety of uses that included finding lost objects, predicting the future, finding the trail of an enemy or the cause of illness, and invoking the moon.
Throughout Central America quartz crystals were considered gateways to other realms. The descendents of the Maya used them to connect with their ancestral spirits.
As quartz crystals can be quite large—giant crystals weighing as much as 4,410 pounds have been mined in Brazil--the mineral has lent itself to some extraordinary carvings. In 14th and 15th -century Europe beautiful ceremonial crystal cups and reliquaries were set with bases and lids of gold. Later, in the 1500 and 1600s candlesticks, vases, bottles, pitchers, and platters were carved from rock crystal, often depicting elaborate scenes from Greek mythology. In the late 1800s and early 1900s the French jewelry makers, led by Boucheron, rediscovered rock crystal and made some of the most extraordinary objects ever to be carved from stone: exquisite little crystal bottles for smelling salts that were set with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires; crystal vases set in bases of gold; crystal cigarette boxes with diamond and emerald clasps; crystal clocks set with rubies and diamonds; even graceful crystal figurines depicting the characters in Italy’s Commedia dell’Arte.
Metaphysically, clear quartz is known to be one of the master healers, a stone that amplifies almost any energy. It’s said to be able to clear all chakras, strengthen clarity and psychic abilities, including the ability to communicate with minerals, plants, and animals. It’s considered a stone that connects this realm to others and connects one’s spirit to the stars. Quartz crystals are also believed to store information, much like computers. Record-keeper crystals, which show tiny pyramids engraved on their facets, are said to hold the memories of our ancestors. Clear quartz is often placed on the crown chakra in simple healing layouts.
Although quartz is a fairly hard stone, and can safely be cleaned in ultrasonic cleaners, the beads can chip or crack if struck against another hard surface. So if you use them in bracelets, be gentle when you wear them.
Clear quartz beads have a kind of purity when strung on their own, but also they combine beautifully with other transparent stones, adding lightness to any piece. Try them with lemon quartz and aquamarine for a summer pastel necklace, or set them off against the fiery green sparkle of chrysoprase. For the winter holidays, create a triad of clear quartz, and red and green garnets. Clear quartz will go well with just about every type of quartz, including amethyst, rose quartz, and pale blue chalcedony. For a black and white outfit, combine them with black onyx for dramatic effect, or follow the lead of the 19th century jewelers, who considered quartz the a perfect, elegant background for emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. An inexpensive cousin of clear quartz, these glass beads substitute perfectly for the gem and put less strain on your purse. Clear quartz glass beads not only go with everything, but they lighten any piece. For crystalline evening sophistication, bead clear quartz glass beads with black onyx and white pearls. If you’re in a “quartz” mood, string a necklace that uses amethyst, citrine, ametrine, carnelian, aventurine, chrysoprase, and lemon, cherry, rose, smoky, and cognac quartz —all the forms of quartz!—and use these beautiful, sparkling beads as accents. Or, for moonlit nights, try stringing a bracelet that uses clear quartz glass to highlight the mysterious, opalescent gems like moonstone, labradorite, and opal. One more simple and perfect combo: clear quartz glass beads alternating with tourmalated and rutilated quartz. |
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