Quartz: what does a stone look like and what properties does it have?

In the bowels of our planet there are a huge amount of minerals, the basis of which is very often quartz. Ornamental and semi-precious gems are varieties of quartz. This "worker" got used to the role of a magic and healing stone, although it is wrong to talk about it in general terms - each type of quartz has its own name, external features and properties.

Quartz is the parent rock of planetary materials. The fact that this nugget can be found in many places is evidenced by the fact that it occupies 60% of the Earth's lithosphere. The stone was known to our ancestors all over the world - this is evidenced by artifacts associated with the culture of the Celts and Saxons, Hindus and Japanese. But the description of the stone is not yet a complete chemical study, because it became available to people relatively recently. The modern chemical study of quartz stone has shown that most of the gems found belong to it.

Previously, people understood this word only as colorless or very faded nuggets. The value of the stone was appreciated by alchemists, they gave it many magical properties. Other minerals, although they belonged to quartz, were considered by people to be independent stones. The relationship of the breeds was discovered many centuries later. Nowadays, chemical research can give a thorough answer about the origin of the stone, its properties, and its age.

Today, people don't just know what quartz looks like. Its physical characteristics also took on great importance: the stone began to be used for optical constructions of technology, it also became a generator of sound and electromagnetic waves in piezoelectric devices. Finally, quartz is useful for humans also because it is used in glass production, it is indispensable in the manufacture of fire-fighting materials.

In the 16th century, stone vessels of various shapes were, as they would say today, at the height of fashion. They were decorated with gilding, emeralds, rubies and diamonds. Nero, the legendary ancient Greek emperor, had a special passion for transparent quartz. And in the tomb of the equally famous Tutankhamun, a unique thing was found: it resembled glasses for protection from the sun, and they were made by Egyptian craftsmen from morion, black quartz (translucent).

In the last century, mankind has learned to grow a quartz crystal. Synthetic stone acquired new properties: a person managed to grow a stone of the optimal size, shape, symmetry. And, as already noted, the quartz used in the manufacture of high-precision instruments must be improved. And synthetic methods help with this. Finally, the artificial mineral is also valuable in jewelry. Craftsmen can grow crystals of such shades that cannot be found in nature.

If you decide to get carried away with stones, and you are attracted by mineralogy or lithotherapy, then one of the first stones to study is quartz. There is really a lot that is unique in this nugget.

Quartz is found everywhere on our planet. It is mined in a quarry or by hand. The nugget occurs in dolomites, alluvial rocks, limestones. Mountains and plains, river deltas and sea shores are all possible geolocations of quartz. For industry, monomineral quartz sand is of particular value.

Among the world's leading countries in terms of the location of quartz, one can single out Mexico, Brazil, Ukraine, Uruguay, Madagascar, Kazakhstan... Several large zones of quartzite mining are noted on Russian territory: Chukotka and Kamchatka, Yakutia, Ural.

The value of a mineral depends on its shade. Yes, perhaps this is a subjective characteristic, but this is how demand looks like. Color decides a lot, because some varieties of nuggets are more popular, others less. For a long time there has been a strictly built scale of the most and least valuable quartz rocks. Let's describe some of them.

• Rhinestone. There is such a film with Sylvester Stallone, and the viewer likes it with only one name, romantic and beautiful. Rock crystal differs from all other types of quartz - mainly by its transparency and radiance.

• Morion. The same stone that served as the basis for the pharaoh's sunglasses. The mineral has a deep black color. It can be either transparent or opaque.

• Hairy. The nugget received such a telling name because of its rare, even extravagant appearance. This translucent rock crystal contains fine-needle crystals of other nuggets. Rutile and tourmaline threads outwardly really resemble needles, thin hairs.

• Prase. This is what green quartz is called. Its formula contains actinolite and other minerals, which explains the emerald hue.

• Rose quartz. Semiprecious stone. In the East, this nugget is called the "stone of the heart", saying that the mere contemplation of the nugget fills the beholder's heart with love.

• Rauchtopaz. Another name is smoky quartz. It is a very transparent quartz with a non-standard shade. The color range is from gray-smoky to deep brown. Gray color shall prevail.

• Amethyst. The most valuable representative of quartz is a precious (not semi-precious, like many others) stone. The most common color of amethyst is purple. You can see stones with a purple-pink or purple-red hue.

• Citrine. Another popular quartz nugget. It is sometimes referred to as the "yellow diamond".It is certainly not a diamond, but golden, lemon shades, combined with shine, give an impressive aesthetic effect.

• Rauchcitrin. It is a mixture of citrine and rauchtopaz. Its play is very beautiful, brown and yellow shades are unusually brightly combined.

• Cat's eye. It is also considered a pleasure for an esthete: the stone can be pinkish, gray or white. And the main thing in it is the amazing beauty of the light ebb.

• Ametrine. Rare quartz mineral. His colors are very unexpected - the violet-lilac color is diluted with yellow.

These were descriptions of crystalline quartz. But there is also cryptocrystalline quartz, which is also rich in its representatives. For example, translucent chalcedony, - both white and honey shades will not leave an esthete indifferent. Agate - this is already a kind of chalcedony, and agate is original in that it is distinguished by its original layered banded structure.

It looks interesting and chrysolite: the stone is transparent, yellowish or greenish. There are representatives more faded, and there are more saturated ones. A fragile type of mineral is aventurine. What makes this stone special is the inclusion of iron mica. Known to so many cornelian - it is red or rose quartz, which has a unique shine.

No less popular is onyx. Its color is brown, but it can be diluted with black or white patterns. Sometimes it includes plane-parallel layers of soft honey, pink, brown color. No less beautiful and sapphirine - blue shade quartz with a coarse-grained structure.

In jewelry, many quartz varieties look mesmerizingly beautiful. Craftsmen give them a special cut, and if it is a precious metal, the item will definitely be dear to the owner. Here it is worth mentioning the qualities that the owner himself will endow quartz with. Someone will limit themselves to admiring its overflows and interweaving of shades, while others will expect the action of special energy. No scientific evidence will convince the latter of some exaggeration of these magical and medicinal properties.

And sometimes there is no need to overpersuade. Talismans and amulets, according to many experts, are triggered by the placebo effect. And if wearing a rose quartz ring helps someone in their personal life, that's great. The installation worked, there is a result, and this is the main thing.

Quartz is a mineral from the oxide class. As noted, this is the most common earthly nugget.

The physical properties of quartz look like this:

• the luster of the stone is glassy, ​​greasy in the fracture;
• there is no cleavage;
• a break in a nugget is conchial;
• crystals have the shape of a hexagonal prism, which is accompanied by a pyramid-cap;
• the crystal faces are covered with transverse shading;
• crystals are ingrown or overgrown;
• line color - white;
• may contain inclusions - more often these are gases and liquids, which are visualized by bubbles;
• the hardness of the stone is great - it will leave a scratch on the glass;
• insoluble in acids;
• refers to glass-forming oxides;
• has a number of polymorphic modifications;
• often forms doubles;
• the radioactivity of the stone is 0;
• the melting point is difficult due to the high viscosity, is about 1728 degrees;
• magnetic - no;
• measured density - 2.65 g / cm3.

Since there are a lot of types of quartz, it is almost impossible to generalize their magical and healing properties - this will be a very approximate characteristic. Each quartz stone is unique. But nuggets of light shades and colorless are the closest to the so-called pure quartz.

The main healing zone of the mineral's action is the nervous system, skin, and respiratory organs.... Moreover, water infused with quartz is called medicinal. The nugget must be placed in a container with water for a day, then the resulting infusion is filtered. The tool is used for medicinal baths and baths.

The stone is also credited with magical properties. In ancient times, the mineral was actively used in various kinds of rituals. The very crystal balls associated with magic and rituals by many were made of rock crystal. Lenses were previously made from it, which were used by priests in ancient temples to ignite a sacred fire.

The structure of the use of quartz in magic:

• rhinestone - a mineral that helps to develop extrasensory perception in a person;

• tourmaline quartz - a stone that cleans the soul from the consequences of personal dramas, as well as a mineral that accumulates negative energy, releasing a person from it;

• cloudy milky crystals (there are plenty of such representatives of quartz) allow a person to plunge into himself - if you need a period of calm and reflection, this is a good option;

• cornelian associated with love magic, the owners of this stone, if you believe such a theory, it is easier to find a lover - intuition appears, which helps to identify "your person";

• all minerals from quartzSmoky colors are suitable for leaders: they energize leadership, help plan, separate the main from the secondary, concentrate on the main goal.

Silver is considered a good setting for quartz. This union is notable for the fact that silver enhances the properties of quartz and vice versa. If a person who truly loves you gives you such an amulet, he will help you. The stone is able to reveal talents, which until this moment you might not have suspected. Also, amulets with quartz in a silver frame are often presented to girls who go to live in another city or country.

To believe in such a power of a stone is a personal matter for everyone. People who prefer to approach everything from a scientific point of view are rather skeptical about the properties of the stone of a healing and magical nature. But among those who believe in the power of the mineral, there are many people with mathematical, chemical, biological education. Not everything can be decomposed into hypotheses and proofs, there are just observations that make it possible to reason at the level of intuition, foreboding.

The mineral has found application in a variety of areas. Probably everyone knows about how quartz is used in the lighting industry.If you have seen quartz pipes, then you can imagine what one of the hypostases of the mineral looks like. There are bactericidal lamps in medical institutions, and when the ward closes for quartzization, it means that the time has come for a special procedure.

Quartzization of indoor air allows you to fight colds, helps in the treatment of some dermatological diseases. Also, quartzing can disinfect food. In dentistry, quartz is also used to sanitize the oral cavity, and some medical procedures.

Rhinestone has proven itself well in the cosmetic field. Many well-known anti-aging agents contain microparticles of quartz in their composition. But since not everyone can buy branded products for themselves, there is a cheaper alternative - you can use quartz water to wash your face.

Water, which is infused with quartz for a couple of days, can be compared with liquid from the purest mountain springs, with melted glacial water. They cook food on it and just drink (but do not get carried away).

Let's consider where else quartz is used.

• In electronics. In this area, oscillators and resonators are made using quartz. The mineral is also used as a frequency grid stabilizer in telephones. The nugget is also used in watchmaking. In some respects, quartz watches are superior to mechanical ones.

• Household. As a decorative material, quartz is used in the manufacture of tableware and some interior elements. In the ceramics industry, it is also often used to supplement.

• Jewelry making. Earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants - quartz is actively used by jewelers, since the stone is literally asking for the hands of the master. As already noted, silver is an excellent partner for the mineral. In its "shackles" the aesthetic properties of the stone are revealed to the maximum.

• Construction. In this area, the use of quartz is a raw material for silicate blocks, cement and concrete mortars, and the addition of quartz sand to building mixtures.

• Dentistry. Quartz is used for the production of porcelain crowns.

It is difficult to quickly describe all the areas where this particular mineral is used. It is included in mercury devices, UV-resistant devices are made from it, and parts for high-tech medical equipment are made from quartz.

You may have a box interspersed with quartz at home, a lotion containing quartz chips on a shelf with cosmetics, a quartz watch on your hands, and an onyx pendant on your chest. This suggests that even if earlier we had heard little about quartz and had little idea of ​​what it is, we meet with this mineral quite often.

Quartz has too many varieties to strictly answer the question of who this stone is suitable for. For example, if we are talking about rock crystal, then it is more often chosen by Leo, Taurus, Pisces and Libra - the mineral helps these signs to find spiritual harmony, find peace, relieve irritability and get rid of impulsive actions.

Smoky crystals (rauchtopaz) will become a strong talisman for Scorpions - it is believed that these nuggets are able to restrain passionate natures who can reluctantly offend, say something that would not be worth talking about. Citrine is a stone that is more suitable for Gemini, it increases intuitive abilities, helps in solving financial problems. There are other important points to consider.

• Rhinestone Is one of the most powerful conductors of energy. Therefore, this stone is suitable for those who seriously decided to engage in the development of their own extrasensory perception.If you notice that your predictions and dreams tend to come true, amulets and other rhinestone jewelry will enhance these abilities.
• Milky, white quartz suitable for those people who are going to strengthen contact with the inner world. Lovers of meditation take these stones with them to rituals. They help to distract from the hustle and bustle, allow you to stay in silence, tranquility, concentration even in the very center of a metropolis, on a noisy street or in an office.
• Cornelian suitable for those who intend to part with a single life. You don't need to pin all your hopes on him alone, but it is believed that the stone attracts people close to you in terms of personal relationships. It is believed that carnelian, like a conductor of love and sensuality, will attract people with the psychotype you need. In this sense, it can be said that the quartz mineral works like a filter.
• Amethysts it makes sense to wear for people who are temperamental, explosive. They calm the owner, cool his ardor, bring a healthy dose of prudence and slowness to conclusions.
• Snow quartz suitable for leaders, those who constantly need to "pump" their business acumen and initiative, the ability to be above the situation.

To say that a mineral may not suit someone at all is impossible. It is a neutral stone in this sense. Just remember that there are a lot of its varieties, read the characteristics carefully.

Taking care of the mineral is not very difficult. If you do everything meticulously and according to the rules, you can purchase a special cleaner from a jewelry store. This is a balanced composition that you need to wipe your jewelry with from time to time.

A soapy solution is something that will work for many types of quartz. For example, rose quartz, beloved by women, is perfectly washed in soapy water, but if you do not wash it very well under cold water, a film will remain on the stone, which will cause the nugget to tarnish. Rinse the stone preferably with filtered water.

Initially, the mineral does not need soap baths. Once a week, put the stone under a stream of warm (not hot!) Water, dry it, this will be enough. All soap manipulations are necessary for old stones that need additional cleaning. There is another option: the same rose quartz can be buried in table salt and kept there for several hours.

Try to treat stones as a wonderful creation of nature. Do not endow them with magic and incur the burden of expectations and possible disappointments. Calmness and prudence will not harm in this matter.

For information on the properties of quartz, see the next video.