Ah, Quartz. A composition that begins as silicon dioxide (SiO2), quartz is a very versatile crystal that takes on multiple forms from clear to translucent to fully opaque, and has an example of every color of the rainbow, and many varieties that are almost an entire rainbow unto themselves. Lines, swirls, rosettes, and various types of optical patterns, quartz has a perfect stone for everybody and every situation.
Quartz is the second most abundant mineral on earth, surpassed only by Feldspar. It comes in a macrocrystalline and microcrystalline variety. Majority of macrocrystalline varieties are TRANSPARENT, meaning light passes through them without diffraction or changing its property. You could read the words on a page looking through a piece of clear quartz. Amethyst is an example of macrocrystalline quartz. Microcrystalline varieties are usually TRANSLUCENT, meaning the light changes as it passes through, or OPAQUE meaning no light passes completely through. Agates are translucent, while Jaspers are opaque.
Macrocrystalline varieties
Macrocrystalline quartz has large crystals that are distinguishable from each other, and while they usually grow in pairs, many times they grow in clumps, criss crossing, or bunching up. They are a triagonal system, and commonly form six-sided points. Most geodes are macrocrystalline varieties of crystal. The largest specimen of quartz ever found was in Barzil and was the size and weight of a dump truck. Examples of macrocrystalline quartz are:
- Clear/white (Rock) Quartz- the main type of quartz, this variety was thought to be a permanent crystal of super ice by ancient Romans as is the most abundant variety of quartz found in nature. It can be as clear as glass or as white as snow (and is called Snow Quartz). When heated, it can take on a crackled effect making it look like ice.
- Amethyst- naturally light violet to dark purple in color, it owes it’s color usually to traces of iron as well as exposure to irradiation. This is one of the most common forms of colored quartz and when heat treated can turn reddish, green, or yellow and is used as forgeries for other varieties of quartz.
- Citrine- a more rare stone, citrine is naturally light to golden yellow, and may have a slight cloudy appearance. Citrine is easily mistaken for yellow topaz, only hardness giving away the reality easily. The color comes from ferric (Iron and other chemicals) inclusions. When found in the same crystalline structure as amethyst, the stone becomes known as Ametrine. Citrine may also be a heat treated amethyst, which unfortunately is a common case in jewelry.
- Rose Quartz- this color is a pale to mid pink, usually cloudy, and may exhibit asterism (think star patterns). The color is caused by either manganese, iron, or titanium, though some specimens have shown to include dumortierite.
- Smokey Quartz- taking on a smoke-filled hue of brown to grey, this color is a result of irradiation of aluminum in the matrix.
- Blue Quartz- also can be known as dumortierite quartz, this quartz is characterized by blue hues caused by the dumortierite which is aluminum boro-silicate. This quartz is usually cloudy. Blue quartz can also be caused by other mineral inclusions, resulting in different patterns within the stone.
- Herkimer Diamond- not actually a diamond, this variety of quartz can be mistaken for one to the untrained and unaided eye. It is a clear crystal with beautifully formed points and structures and named after the Herkimer mine in New York.
- Prasiolite- this commonly refers to green varieties of quartz and may also be called vermarine. The word “Green Amethyst” is also used, but this is not a legal term according to the Unites States Federal Trade Commission since green amethyst is actually regular amethyst that has been heat treated to turn it a greenish color. Almost all Prasiolite on the market is actually heat treated amethyst since true prasiolite is very rare.
Amethyst 
Rose Quartz
Microcrystalline Varieties
Microcrystalline quartz (also known as cryptocrystalline) is so named because the individual crystal structures cannot be seen with the naked eye. This causes translucent and opaque stones, but also allows for a variety of patterns such as lines, swirls, flowers, rosettes, and veins. Two common types are agate and jasper. Agates are translucent stones whereas jaspers are opaque. Examples include:
- Chalcedony- a common name for most varieties of microcrystalline quartz, when used in the jewelry business, chalcedony refers to a specific color of crystal which is a sky blue to light blue green color with fine milky white bands.
- Carnelian- a reddish to reddish orange hued chalcedony
- Aventurine- while usually referring to the green coloration, aventurine comes in blue, red, purple and yellow varieties, and has aventurescence which is a refractive characteristic caused by inclusions of mica.
- Agate- you can tell an agate by holding it up to the light- you will see diffused light passing through. All agates are chalcedony. They come in a variety of colors, and can be single, multi colored and include usually curved banding. Moss and tree agate are the exception as they are characterized by veining and swirls.
- Onyx- a dark variety of agate, usually deep blue, brown or black in color. Most known for the black and white straight banding which can be cut to resemble a bulls eye pattern. When the color is red, the stone is referred to as Sardonyx.
- Jasper- This refers to opaque varieties of chalcedony that is mainly filled with varietals of iron inclusions that create a multitude of patterns and colors and carry names reflective of their coloration and pattern. Banding is non linear, circular, or irregular and rosettes and “bubbles” are common patterns. Such well known Jaspers include Picture, Crazy Lace, Bumblebee, Brecciated, Ocean, Dalmatian, and Bloodstone (also known as Heliotrope).
- Tiger’s Eye- Tiger’s Eye is a straight banded form of quartz that gets its stunning optical look from the inclusion of a form of asbestos fibers known as crocidolite, iron, and inclusions of hematite and red jasper. It is so named because when polished, the luster can create stripes that look like tiger stripes. Yellow is the most common, but blue and red varieties exist.
Green Aventurine 
Yellow Tiger Eye
Quartz in the Electronics Division
One of the lesser known uses of quartz is for radio and electronic usage. Quartz is a piezoelectric crystal, meaning when pressure or electricity is applied, it vibrates at a consistent frequency by changing its shape. This vibration is widely used in timekeeping, but also in frequency radios (such as those used by fire and police), and oscillators. Almost all quartz crystals used in such applications are man made to ensure high grade quality crystals with no impurities. It’s very likely you have something in your home that relies on a quartz crystal to function.
Quartz and the power it has within the Crystal realm
Each type of quartz has it’s meanings when it comes to using crystals. Clear quartz is considered one of the most powerful varieties of quartz and is an excellent healer. It can absorb negative energies, and give off positive ones. It is used as a cleansing crystal for other crystals. It can be a bringer of light and happiness, or a remover of worry and heartbreak. It is one of the most common stones recommended to the first time crystal user. And the shape can also determine the strength- double pointed specimens have the most powerful energy.
I will talk about the uses of each variety of quartz in a later post. But I wanted to first lay out what exactly this whole quartz thing was and the types it comes in. Quartz is such a versatile stone. It’s not only perfect for healing and chakra usage, but makes excellent jewelry and home decor items.
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