Fujian Black Smoky Quartz Crystal

Fujian Black Smoky Quartz Crystal

Exceptionally clear and smoky-tinted, this magnificent specimen from Fujian Yunxiao exemplifies the beauty of nature’s artistry.fujian black smoky quartz The smoky tones evoke the grandness and serenity of glaciers, while crystal-clear transparency allows light to pierce through the depths, revealing intricate details. This awe-inspiring piece reflects the spirit of the stone, a symbol of eternal wisdom and the power of nature.

Smoky quartz is a color variety of the common quartz, the second most abundant mineral on earth.fujian black smoky quartz It is a coarse-grained variety that ranges in color from grayish brown to black, and is sometimes called morion due to its similarity in appearance to the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph ‘morion’ helmet. It has been prized by all sorts of people, from the ancient Egyptians and Australian Aborigines to modern New Age practitioners who believe it holds mystical or healing properties.

Its smoky color results from natural radiation, and it is most intense at the tips of the rhombohedral faces of its crystals. It can also show a zonar coloration, with a darker portion in one face, and a lighter portion on the other (see image below). Darker zones may be separated by areas of light color or even pure white. These are called phanerisms. Sometimes smoky quartz shows the same dichroism as amethyst, appearing darker when viewed along specific crystallographic axes, and lighter when viewed on their sides.

In addition to being a very interesting variety of rock crystal, smokey quartz is often used as a practice material by those learning to facet. It is easy to work, and flat pieces can be quite large. It was also popular in the Victorian era for men’s rings and cufflinks.

There are a few rare varieties of smoky quartz. The most common, from the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland, is called morion due to its resemblance to the ancient Egyptian helmet. Another is coon tail, which is a banded formation that looks like a raccoon’s tail and arises from variations in the amount of irradiation exposure during crystal growth.

Most smoky quartz comes from igneous rocks, but it is occasionally reported from sedimentary deposits as well. However, true smoky quartz from sedimentary deposits will pale upon heating and is probably actually a combination of quartz with black or brown inclusions. It is unusual to find true smoky quartz from a limestone/dolomite quarry, for example, as shown in the picture below. This specimen was collected from a granite miarole pocket in the western Erongo mountains.

This beautiful example of fujian black smoky quartz from Peterson Mountain, California, was cut and polished by Gary Reeves. It shows an excellent x-face, a clear s-face, steep rhombohedra and an additional, dull trapezohedral face, perhaps the u-face, between x and s. It is untwinned, but the sutures running through the crystal reflect its internal macromosaic structure that characterizes this variety of slow-growth smoky quartz. Its smoky color is rich and deep, while its clarity captures the essence of the mineral. The specimen is priced at $850.

Tags:barite quartz