The most common stone is Quartz - the properties of the mineral, a photo of a gem, as combined with the signs of the zodiac

Quartz is a stone that makes up 60% of the mass of the earth's crust, being the most common rock-forming mineral. The fifth part of quartz is contained in a free form, forming a huge number of independent minerals that have their own names depending on the impurities and the structure of the crystals. Each of them has its own special properties.

History and origin of the name

The name "Quartz" comes from the German language. In old German, the word "twark" meant "hard". Sometimes the word is derived from "Querklufter" - "ore of secant veins."

Mankind has been familiar with various varieties of quartz since ancient times. Primitive people made scrapers, spearheads and other primitive tools from flint, which is also one of the varieties of quartz.

European craftsmen "got acquainted" with quartz as early as the 11th century, when they began to make glasses and vases from it.

In Russia, quartz was truly appreciated in the 18th century, when they began to make seals, rings, beads and other household items from it.

Quartz is used as a raw material for the glass and ceramic industries.Ordinary sand is still the same quartz formed during the destruction of granites and other quartz-containing rocks.

The unique properties of quartz have found application in many areas of radio and electrical engineering as a piezoelectric and pyroelectric, as well as an excellent insulator. ultrasound emitters, quartz oscillators and many other devices are made from it.

He found application as a refractory material, in the form of quartz glass it is used for the manufacture of chemical glassware and optical instruments.

It also came in handy for jewelers. Jewelry and crafts are made from a rich set of varieties of quartz.

Place of Birth

Deposits of quartz can be found everywhere.

In Russia, the best samples of quartz are mined in the Urals, in Yakutia, in Chukotka and in the Moscow region.

Kazakhstan and Ukraine are rich in quartz.

Excellent gem-quality quartz is found in Sri Lanka, Uruguay, Madagascar, the USA, Mexico and Brazil.

Physical Properties

Quartz has a hardness of 7, being the standard stone on the Mohs scale. The fracture is conchoidal. Syngony is trigonal. Density 2.6-2.65 g/cm3.

Glass luster. Refractive index 1.544. The color of the stone can be very diverse from white to black. There are minerals of various shades of yellow, orange, red, blue, green, blue, purple, but it can be white, gray and brown, to deep black.

Melting point 1728C.

Chemical properties and composition

Quartz is silicon oxide, it is colorless itself, and it owes its color to a wide variety of impurities, which include almost the entire periodic table.

The chemical formula is SiO2.

It does not dissolve in alkalis and acids except hydrofluoric.

Varieties

Quartz has varieties that differ in composition and color:

• Rock crystal, which is colorless crystals or druze, which adorn the collections of amateurs and geological museums;
• Rauchtopaz, also called smoky quartz, has a light gray or light brown color, pleochroism is often observed in it, that is, colors when the angle of view changes;
• Morion is a black ornamental stone of the first order, when heated to 300C, it acquires a golden color, reminiscent of topaz;
• Citrine - lemon yellow crystals, this semi-precious stone owes its color to aluminum or lithium ions;
• Sapphire - transparent very rare light blue quartz;
• Amethyst is a precious gem, which is a subspecies of rock crystal with a purple or lilac color;
• Aventurine is a rock containing quartz, sparkling with golden sparks due to small particles of mica or hematite, the color of the stone can be from light yellow to red-brown, sometimes green or bluish;
• Prazem - onion-green quartz with particles of actinolite or chlorite, sometimes other green minerals; Rose quartz is a very valuable transparent quartz with a pink tint;
• Ametrine or bolivianite is an extremely rare variety found in Bolivia, it alternates with areas of lilac and yellow; Volosatik, which is also called “hair of Venus” or “arrows of Cupid”, are rock crystals containing inclusions of rutile or tourmaline, having the form of thin needles;
• Chalcedony is a cryptocrystalline variety of quartz, which has many subspecies with their own names, differing in color and structural features:
• carnelian - yellow, orange or red;
• sard or sard - reddish-brown;
• plasma - green chalcedony;
• chrysoprase - apple-green chalcedony due to the admixture of nickel;
• onyx - chalcedony with alternating light and black stripes;
• carnelian - translucent red or honey-colored chalcedony;
• agate - chalcedony, having layers or stripes of various colors;
• Flint - fine-grained aggregates of quartz with chalcedony or opal, very beautiful flints are found in the Moscow region and in Poland;
• Cat's eye - translucent pink or gray quartz with a stripe resembling a cat's pupil;
• The hawk's eye, unlike the cat's eye, has blue streaks on a dark blue background;
• The tiger's eye differs from the falcon's in a golden brown color.
• The varieties of quartz include opal - amorphous quartz, which has a beautiful play of colors due to the smallest droplets of water contained in it;
• Jasper is also one of the varieties of quartz, which contains a large amount of impurities, causing a very rich range of colors; Heliotrope is a type of jasper with bright red dots on a dark green background.

fakes

Fake glass is quite easy to recognize. It is enough to hold a stone on the glass. Real quartz will leave a scratch on the glass.

Plastic fakes can be recognized by touch. The stones remain cold for a long time, and the plastic heats up immediately.

magical properties

• Quartz has a variety of magical properties depending on the variety:
• Rock crystal and rose quartz are the best materials for making magic balls.
• Rauchtopazes help to find the right solutions.
• Green quartz increases self-confidence.
• Pink and red quartz attract love.
• Amethysts make you tell the truth.

Medicinal properties

Different types of quartz have different healing properties, but they all heal the lungs and bronchi, accelerate tissue regeneration and rejuvenate the skin.

Green quartz is one of the best remedies for stress.

Zodiac signs

Which of the zodiac signs is quartz stone suitable for? This largely depends on the element to which this variety of quartz belongs.

Rock crystal, citrine and rauchtopaz, related to the elements of Air, are consonant with Gemini, Libra and Aquarius.

Morion and most types of chalcedony belong to the elements of the Earth. These are the stones of Capricorn, Virgo and Taurus.

Opal belongs to the water element. It is a stone of Scorpions, Cancers and Pisces.

However, this division is rather arbitrary. You should carefully study the compatibility with your sign of a particular variety of quartz.

So, rose quartz suits Taurus and Libra as a stone of their ruling planet Venus. Other varieties have their favorites.

Water signs can choose white quartz, that is, rock crystal, the stone has a very strong energy and is able to give self-confidence, thanks to it they will be able to achieve their goal despite all the obstacles.

More beneficial than others, this transparent colorless quartz acts on Aquarius, Libra and Gemini, belonging to the same element of Air. This gem will protect them from any evil eye, damage and other negativity, bring good luck in business and reveal talents.

Products with quartz

Translucent and transparent gem-quality quartz is used to make rings, pendants, brooches, beads and bracelets.

From opaque types, all kinds of caskets, figurines, ashtrays and other household items are most often made.

Collectors are hunting for large stones and especially rare crystals.

stone care

All types of quartz are resistant to chemistry, but you should not abuse it. It is enough to limit yourself to a soapy solution, which is applied with a sponge or soft rag.

Among the rich selection of varieties of quartz, you will surely be able to find the one that best suits you.