Quartz

Quartz is a popular mineral and gemstone. There are a number of possible origins of the word: Old German, Slavic, or Ancient Saxon. Water clear quartz was referred to by the ancient Greeks as krystallos from which we get the English word “crystal”. Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist, believed quartz was a form of ice water.

Quartz is a form of Silicon DiOxide (SiO2). There are many varieties of quartz used gemstones including amethyst, citrine, smoky quartz, and rose quartz. It is typically found in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Quartz is used to manufacture glass, ceramics, as a building stone (in sandstone), and other manufacturing processes. It is the second most abundant material in the Earth’s crust. It can have a natural vibration frequency, and this property is exploited to in watches, clocks, radios, television and various communications devices. It can also have piezoelectric property making it useful for certain types of electronic devices including phonographs.

Quartz can be rutilated with inclusions of rutile (TiO2) whcih may appear as straws, or rods arranged randomly or in patterns inside the crystal.

Quartz may have spiritual or crystal healing properties including: cleansing the energy, releasing blocked emotions, increasing clarity of thought, and bringing spiritual peace. It is often used as a therapy stone or reiki stone.