Silicates & Quartz
Quartz
What it is
The most abundant mineral on Earth's surface. Quartz is pure silicon dioxide that crystallizes in hexagonal prisms. Trace impurities and natural radiation create the wide range of colors — iron makes amethyst purple, titanium fibers make rose quartz pink, and aluminum makes smoky quartz brown.
How it forms
Forms in almost every geological environment: igneous pegmatites, hydrothermal veins, metamorphic rocks, and sedimentary deposits. Quartz crystallizes from silica-rich fluids as they cool, typically between 100–500°C. The slower the cooling, the larger the crystals.
SiO₂ — Silicon Dioxide (Hexagonal crystal system)
Specimens
16 stones
Amethyst
Spiritual · Crown
Iron-rich quartz 'baked' by gamma rays.
Ametrine
Transformation · Solar Plexus
Natural zoning via heat gradients.
Citrine
Abundance · Solar Plexus
Natural heat 'frying' iron impurities.
Clear Quartz
Clarity · Crown
Crystallizes from silica-rich fluids.
Fire Quartz
Vitality · Root
Hematite inclusions inside clear quartz.
Girasol Quartz
Clarity · Crown
Soft glow from microscopic inclusions.
Golden Healer Quartz
Healing · Crown
Iron coating/inclusions in quartz.
Green Aventurine
Abundance · Heart
Fuchsite inclusions create the green.
Lodolite
Spiritual · Crown
Chlorite/Iron 'gardens' in quartz.
Pietersite
Transformation · Crown
Tectonic 'folding' of tiger's eye.
Rose Quartz
Love · Heart
Nano-fibers of dumortierite/titanium.
Rutile Quartz
Clarity · Crown
Rutile 'needles' inside quartz.
Smoky Quartz
Grounding · Root
Natural radiation bruising the lattice.
Tiger Eye
Abundance · Crown
Tiger's Eye
Abundance · Solar Plexus
Quartz replacing fibrous crocidolite.
Tourmalinated Quartz
Protection · Root
Tourmaline needles trapped in quartz.