Smoky Quartz
Global Mining Sites
Smoky Quartz can be found all over the world, but the best specimens have been found in Africa, Switzerland, Madagascar, Brazil, Australia and the USA.
History
Smoky Quartz, has been revered by humans for centuries, being a sacred stone to the ancient Druids and Celts.
The Druids were high-ranking Ancient Celts who acted as priests, teachers and judges. They considered Smoky Quartz to be sacred and they used it in their ceremonies and rituals. It was also believed that it would guide souls to the afterlife.
Religious objects were often decorated with Smoky Quartz, with some European countries using it to make crucifixes which they hung up in their bedrooms to keep evil away. It was even used by the Chinese in the 12th century as sunglasses, using them to protect the eyes.
Appearance
This particular Quartz variety forms in masses and crystal structures of all sizes.
The colour of the natural Smoky Quartz crystal may vary, ranging from light smoky or browny grey to a black.
The lighter crystal is transparent with many complex crystalline structures within. The brown Smoky Quartz gets it’s colour from natural radiation (due to the proximity of other radioactive minerals) or natural irradiation. Whereas the black Smoky Quartz is not natural, being produced by unnatural irradiation.