Quartz gemstones can come in
many different colours.
Quartz is the most
abundant and widely distributed mineral found at Earth's surface.
It is present and
plentiful in all
parts of the world, is found in all rock types and in all parts of the
world occurring as sand grains, as crystals in rocks, and in veins that
cut through all rock types, sometimes bearing gold or other precious
metals and precious gems.
The word "quartz" is
derived from
the German word quarz. Other sources attribute the word's
origin
to the Saxon word Querkluftertz, meaning cross-vein ore.
Quartz is the most
common material
identified as the mystical substance maban in Australian Aboriginal
mythology. It is found regularly in cemeteries in Europe in a burial
context. The Irish word for quartz is grian cloch which means 'stone of
the sun'. The word "crystal" comes from the Greek word κρύσταλλος
meaning "ice" as quartz was once thought to be frozen water and is
found near glaciers in the Alps, but not on volcanic mountains.
Quartz
Crystals typically grow in hot watery solutions. The ideal crystal
shape is a six-sided prism terminating with six-sided pyramids at each
end. Herkimer “Diamond” Quartz Crystals are harder than regular quartz,
are brighter and are doubly terminated, clear crystals, some showing a
slightly yellow appearance.
Popular
Quartz Gemstones are; Amethyst-palest mauve to deepest purple clear
Quartz. Ametrine-a clear, bi-colour Amethyst and Citrine with zones of
purple and yellow. Cairngorm-a deep, rich, yellow-brown to
greyish-brown, clear Quartz which took its name from the Scottish
mountain range in which it was found.
Citrine-yellow
to golden clear Quartz. Morion-brown, clear Quartz. Pink Quartz is
surely one of the most beautiful gemstones. It is clear, coloured pink
with sunset overtones and has a mysterious, almost translucent glow.
Rose Quartz-Powder-pink to soft-pink.
Generally
milky in appearance, Rose Quartz can have included rutile crystals
which show as a six-ray star. Gem quality Rose Quartz is officially
named Pink Quartz. Rutilated Quartz-Clear Quartz embedded with rutile
crystals. Smoky Quartz-dark to mid-brown almost clear Quartz.
Tourmalinated Quartz-clear Quartz which formed around needles of Black
Tourmaline.
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English, which is the English we use in
Australia.
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