quartz

Everything about the shrouded in mystery

Origin of quartz

Quartz is a family of minerals and is the second most common in the earth's crust. The gemstones that are beautiful to look at therefore all spring from there, this also includes ametrine, Amethyst, Lily quartz, Olive quartz as well as countless other stones. Accordingly, the mineral shows itself in the most diverse and yet equally beautiful gemstones. In particular the quartz, with its extremely elegant appearance, is often used to make jewelry.

The use of quartz basically begins with the beginning of human history. However, the use then differed from the current one, because in the past the precious stone was used for tool manufacture due to its hardness. During the Neolithic Age, quartz, for example in the form of a rock crystal, was certainly used as an amulet. That means, that the sight and charisma of a gemstone already cast a spell over people in the past.

You should be wondering, where does the name quartz come from?, so to this day there is still a lack of clarity among researchers of the etymology on this topic. Often one tries to derive the term from Slavonic, which means something like "hard". But also in Saxon the term appears as a so-called "cross air ore".

Quartz is commonly referred to as quartz in English and is often used as a mineral to make jewelry. Quartz or. Quartz is an interesting material, since it is both colorless and transparent in a natural and pure way. Nevertheless, there is quartz in a wide variety of color nuances. The irradiation obtained from natural or artificial sources is responsible for this. As a result, the color changes. As already mentioned, another very important property is the hardness of quartz. This plays a major role, especially in view of the possibility of using it as a gemstone.

Crystals can either be obtained naturally or by artificial means. The artificial production of quartz plays mainly for the ceramic industry, Cement development and glass production play a major role. This is because these areas use the quartz sand to produce the required silicon. So that you are given a brief overview of the different quartz variants in the most varied of colors, For this reason, the most famous jewelry elements of quartz follow:

• yellow-orange citrines
• violette Amethyste
• green prasiolites
• black-gray colored smoky quartz
• green nickel crystals

Special properties of quartz

The chemical formula of the mineral quartz is SiO2. However, it is not a single mineral, as one might mistakenly assume, rather, they mean different names of one and the same mineral group. The minerals in this group therefore have the same chemical composition and similar properties. The respective representatives of the mentioned group of quartz belong to the mineral class "Oxide".

4 Quartz can be found in a wide variety of forms:

• microcrystalline quartz (for example jasper, Carnelian, Chalcedon, Purchase, Onyx)
• macrocrystal Quarz (for example amethyst, Bergkristall, Aventurin, Citrin, Rosen- as well as smoky quartz, Falken- as well as tiger's eye)
• Amorphous quartz crystals in the form of opals are among the most famous representatives

But how do the different colors of the quartz come about?? This question is very easy to answer, On the one hand, the admixture of different elements play a decisive role and, on the other hand, a different color can creep in due to defects within the crystal lattice structure. As a result it can turn to colors of white, yellow, rot, violet, green, gray as well as black come.

In the case of the line color of a quartz, for example, on a marking board, the color always remains white. This is due to, that a variety of colors within the group of crystals still remains white. Im hexa- or. trigonal crystal system can crystallize quartz, so that the conclusion of the formation of quartz can be made. Hexagonal quartz is created, for example, up to a temperature of 573 City, whereas with falling temperatures a steady one, Trigonal quartz is created. If you try even higher temperatures you will reach just under 870 Degree about tridymite, Cristobalite, in turn, is obtained from 1470 City. The process mentioned is reversible, in this way, the crystal lattice found in quartz takes on its original structure and shape again, while it comes to the preservation of the habit. As a result, quartz is often called a geological thermometer.

The fracture of a quartz is usually uneven and scalloped. Whereas the cleavage is considered imperfect. In addition, Quartz provides a translucent or. see-through transparency, the glass-like sheen turns out to be a greasy sheen on the fracture surfaces. Because quartz is extremely hard, Mohs hardness must also be addressed, which is seven for quartz, the weight, in turn, is around 2,65.

Quartz crystals are known for their variety of colors, which is why for this reason these should be shown more precisely in their coloring.

• Agate comes in different colors: White, Orange, Rot, green, Braun, Gray and black
• Amethyst comes in the colors: Light pink, Violet and red-violet
• Ametrine is available in both colors: Yellow as well as purple
• Aventurine is available in colors: Rot, blue, Green and brown
• Rock crystal remains colorless
• Blue quartz is available in the colors: Dark-, medium- and light blue
• Citrine is available in both colors: Orange and yellow
• Iron crystals come in different colors: yellow, Red-brown and brown
• Hawk Eye is available in the following colors: Dark gray, Bluish and dark green
• Jasper comes in different colors: yellow, Rot, green, Brown and grayish
• Carnelian is available in colors: Orange with red, Red and red-brown
• Milky quartz stays white
• Onyx is banded with black and white and black
• Opal appears in the iridescent colors of the rainbow
• Prasem is available in the color leek green
• Prasiolite is available in the following colors: Leek green, Gray green and medium green
• Rough quartz is available in the colors: dark- or. Light brown, Gray as well as black
• Rose quartz is available in different colors: Intensivrosa, Soft pink and peach colors
• Tiger's eye is available in both colors: Golden brown and yellow

Color change

Whether it's banana quartz, Strawberry quartz, Olive quartz, Cognac quartz, Champagne quartz, Lily quartz, Mocha quartz or blueberry quartz, Aqua aura and rainbow rock crystal, none of the mentioned quartz represent any further varieties of quartz. The reason for this can be found in it, that the quartz in this case is only a trade name and the color is subsequently changed as a result. However, to change the color of the quartz, there are different options, this includes burning or. Heat to about 400 to 600 City. On the other hand, there is also the variant of irradiation and sheathing (or also called coating). A quartz was color treated, so it is partly sensitive and reacts to this extent with constant storage in direct sunlight by fading its own previously changed color.

Time of origin & distribution

The formation of quartz can be traced back to the crystallization within the silicate melting of the rock. As a result, it also occurs increasingly in igneous rock. A part of the quartzes likes to crystallize out in the druses and passages. Quartz is also found in sedimentary rocks and metamorphs, in this case in the form of a sedimentary binder or as part of the mixture. Worldwide, quartz is the second most common mineral after feldspar.

Rocks with the ingredient

For clarification, in which stones quartz as a side- or the main quarrel occurs, these should be listed briefly: Amphibolit, Aplin, Arkose, Augengneis, Blueschist, Chrysanthemenstein, Diabas, Diorit, Eklogit, Fruit slate, Gneis, Granite, Granulit, Greywacke, Greisen, Greenschist, Glimmererschiefer, Ignimbrit, Laterite, marble, Migmatit, Monzonit, Moselschiefer, Muschelkalk, Pechstein, Pegmatite, Quarzit, Rhyolith, Sandstone, Font granite, Shungit, Syenit, Tone, Slate, Trachyt, Travertine, Trondhjemit and Unakit.

Areas of application and importance

Quartz and its varieties are often used for jewelry, because these process and / or process extremely well without great material losses. let it slide. At the same time, the material of the gem is extremely hard, so that it can easily withstand everyday stress. As a result, jewelry with quartz as a gemstone is very difficult to scratch, so that one is dependent on the use of different cuts. Are they color varieties or specimens?, in which the pattern or the color play a decisive role (with. B. Purchase, Jaspis), so simple cuts are used (including the so-called cabochon cut or. the cut for processing pearls). If you aim for the color and purity of the quartz, so you should fall back on faceted cuts.

Furthermore, quartz is also used in the manufacture of the gemstone water in the form of a water stone. Although the healing stone is generally known as a healing stone, there are still no clinical investigations, that would reinforce this healing effect. As an industrial mineral, it is also active in technology and electronics, for example, it is also used in quartz watches in the form of an oscillating crystal. But quartz can also be found in everyday life. In the form of a powder, it is used for colors, Toothpaste as well as used for washing powder. Quartz plays a not insignificant aspect for cement, Ceramics as well as glass, because it is used there as a raw material.

How to determine quartz?

How is it proven?

Apart from hydrofluoric acid, quartz cannot be dissolved in any other acid. If there is mechanical stress, so follows the charge of the mineral (Piezoelektrizität). This finding was made by Pierre Curie in 1880 recorded. Editing and printing (for example when sawing or hammering) cause, that the quartz begins to glow in a yellowish tone.

Different crystals

Ametrin

The mineral variety of quartz: Ametrin. A real rarity among the precious stones for jewelry, because it is a combination of yellowish citrine and purple amethyst. It is usually sold under the name Bolivianite, because it originally comes from Bolivia. Ametrines are extremely popular stones for all kinds of jewelry.

Only with the years from around 1989 it came to that, that the ametrine was openly available in the trade and was also intended for processing jewelry. But quartz is not only mined in Bolivia, Ametrines can also be found in Brazilian regions. That's why it stands out so much, because it represents a multicolored variation of the quartz. The color gradients created by the citrine and amethyst (both parts are represented in the same proportion in the Ametrin) make the gemstone a real eye-catcher.

However, it is not only jewelry that benefits from the properties of ametrine. Rather, the stone is also used for so-called gemstone therapy, for example when releasing some blocks, relieving pain or in the case of fears that arise, depressions, Insomnia as well as stress.

Amethyst

The violet amethyst also belongs as a variety to quartz and is unusually visible in different colors depending on the perspective. So if you heat the amethyst, so follows the formation of the mineral citrine. Amethysts are particularly important in the field of jewelry making. Because the one in the south- as well as North America, In the event that, Africa, Australia, Quartz occurring in Russia and Germany is one of the most famous gemstones. The term "amethyst", which means something like "counteracting the intoxication", is derived from the Greek language. But why give the gemstone such a name for jewelry? At that time, the amethyst was supposed to protect the wearer from a possible intoxication of the wine that was usually drunk every day. Wine diluted with water was already served in ancient times, this in turn reflected the color of the amethyst.

The amethyst also achieved a different level of awareness, especially as jewelry in the form of a bishop's ring. At that time, the stone was extremely popular for jewelry because of its color. Generally one can remember: The darker the stone is, its value also increases.

Purchase

The mineral agate is also considered a variant of quartz. For the most part, it is used in jewelry as a gemstone, because its optics are extremely striking. Its appearance is particularly evident in jewelry, the unique concentric stripes are a rarity in gemstones. Especially the different colors, which ensure a comprehensive range of colors, immediately in the eye of the beholder.

The agate is classified by different names, especially in the field of jewelry. Depending on the form and color, its name and appearance can be very different. The peace agate, for example, is multilevel in a white tone. Are you more interested in the linguistic historical aspects, so should be mentioned, that the name of the agate goes back to a Sicilian river called agate. But the gemstone is not only suitable for pendants or rings, its use in the form of a talisman is also extremely popular.

As mentioned earlier, the agate stone is, of great importance especially for the manufacture of jewelry. The grain falling out in stripes as well as the different colors, which give the agate its character traits benefit it in jewelry. The only colors, which it does not contain, however, are purple, Cobalt blue, Pink and magenta. The type of gloss also falls back on the glass gloss of the agate stones.

Agate has been used as a gemstone for thousands of years. Whether in the form of amulets, Describe, Vessels, Wrestling or sealing. Back then it was not just considered a jewelry, rather, it should also be useful for practical objects, such as mortars or knife handles.

Blue quartz

The blue aventurine, as the blue quartz is also called, is long-term and is found predominantly in Brazilian areas. The transparent blue color is characteristic of the hard mineral. During a healing therapy, the blue aventurine is also said to have strengthening energies, which are supposed to strengthen the immune system. Furthermore, it is possible for him to alleviate fears and improve the complexion in the form of a chain.

Citrin

This type of quartz is known on the one hand for its yellowish color and on the other hand for its distinct shine (with. B. Glass- or greasy shine). The origin of the name results from its coloring, because in the Latin language lemon means "citrus". The sparkle that is so attractive for the jewelry is in turn due to the cut of the citrine. The quite complex one, chemical dyeing process, leads to green-yellow or. brown-orange coloring. Artificial citrine is used for the most part during the manufacture of the jewelry. The reason for this is the limited occurrence, because citrine occurs exclusively in the United States as well as in South American and European countries.

Attention: It is often wrongly assumed, the citrine is a topaz. But compared to a citrine, the topaz is more of a so-called island silicate.

Cat's eye

The cat's eye quartz with its special look, is sought after by manufacturers of jewelry. Again, if the cat's eye is in a pure form, so the appearance of the stone is almost colorless. The colors green and yellow appear more frequently, which can be traced back to the respective external admixtures. The well-known yellow color is due to the pseudomorphosis.

When it comes to jewelry, the cut is the most important factor (with. B. Cabochon-Form) the cat's eye plays a decisive role, as this is responsible for the typical appearance of the stone. In this respect, it is only possible for the cat's eye to fully develop its attributes. In the end, this chatoyance effect not only gives the gemstone its actual shimmer, but also his name, because it looks very much like a cat's eye.

Itabirit

Now you have come across a real rarity - the Itabirit. It is one of the oldest of all quartz crystals and is likely to be about just before 3,8 or. 2,0 Billion. Years have developed. Geologists also refer to the Itabirit as ribbon iron ore (im Original Banded Iron Formation). The later gemstone can be traced back to what is now the Brazilian area of ​​Itabira (also the namesake). In the United States, it is also known as taconite.

The age-old eye-catcher par excellence - Itabirit

The Itabirit is used, for example, for the production of jewelry for the so-called semi-precious stone "Jasper Timor Red". Its appearance is characteristic with the help of the quite impressive dark gray and at the same time deep red appearance. The Timor Red develops over several layers, which is ultimately reflected in its structure. To understand, how old these stones are already, you have to travel back billions of years. Because the Itabirit originated during the Precambrian, an epoch related to the history of the earth, before total 2 Billion. Years. In the end, the layers only formed through marine sedimentary rocks. During this so-called “stratification” the layers were mixed between the deep red hematite and the dark gray magnetite ore. As a result, it came to be developed today, crucial for jewelry, significant color structures. Since the so-called Iron Red both polish- and also appears frost-resistant, It is also possible to use the Itabirit as a kind of decoration for wall panels or for floor panels in the house.

Rauchquarz

Smoky quartz is particularly popular with jewelry. The Morion has a grayish or black color that is directly reminiscent of rising billows of smoke. Smoky quartz was first mentioned by Pliny, a Roman scholar, who gave the stone the name of the mormorion. As a result, it diverted itself over centuries, der Name Morion ab.

Mainly used for jewelry, you can find the smoky quartz in both trailers, Two of us, Earrings and rings. Due to the large number of occurrences, this jewelry can often be acquired in cheaper price segments.

Rosenquarz

Rose quartz is one of the varieties of gemstones, which have already been explained in more detail in the section above. In particular, the rose-red color is a decisive indicator in the case of rose quartz and is still used in countless pieces of jewelry today. If there is long exposure to sunlight on the stone, for example, an untreated rose quartz can inevitably lose its previous color. Whether Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka, USA or Madagascar, Rose quartz occurs in a wide variety of countries and inspires countless people there with its appearance.

Esotericists in particular will discover a well-known gemstone in rose quartz. In this subject area, the stone not only conveys love, but also fertility. Then there are his skills, ranging from healing physical and psychological weaknesses to relieving headaches. Rose quartz can also look back on a long history, which goes back to ancient times. The Romans already used the stone as a seal for their purposes.

Tigerauge

The shape of the quartz as a tiger's eye develops through the displacement of quartz. The color variation deals exclusively with two tones (red brown and yellow). As a result of the oxidation of a blue-colored eye of a hawk, with the help of the iron that remains, the familiar yellow color variation occurs. Its occurrences are in the United States as well as Western Australian, south african, Indian as well as Canadian areas.

The spectacular appearance of the tiger's eye

The colors of the tiger's eye are quite different between brown and yellow. Is the stone illuminated by light?, so the stone often appears in a golden hue. Added to this is its already existing striped pattern, that can come out even better with the help of the incidence of light. While jewelry with the gemstone is only sold in a cut version in specialist shops, it happens with other gemstones, like for example the amethyst, that they are also often for sale in a raw appearance. With the help of the cut, the already existing shine is reinforced.

The extraction of the gem

The brown tiger's eye is often found exclusively in Australia or parts of South Africa. A small proportion of the gemstone is also found in areas of Asia, as well as in North American regions.

The healing powers of the tiger's eye

Esotericism ascribes certain healing powers against sciatica or migraines to the tiger's eye. If you attach the stone to a chain, in this way, the gemstone, which is known for healing purposes, can also fully develop its powers. Especially people (Zodiac Gemini) benefit from the tiger's eye. In earlier times the myth was true, that with the help of the gemstone negative energy d. h. evil forces could be kept away with great success. Despite all the esotericism, the tiger's eye can "only" be worn as jewelry. You don't necessarily want the stone on a chain, So there is also the possibility of acquiring the stone in a round shape and carrying it with you throughout the day in your jacket pocket.

Falkenauge

The falcon's eye is an opaque and fibrous quartz. The gemstone found in Western Australian and South African areas, appears both in the colors blue-gray, Dark blue as well as teal.

Quartz movement

A quartz watch is constructed according to a very specific type of construction. These clocks contain a so-called quartz oscillator. In contrast to other clocks, there is no mechanical clock generator in the clock itself. But how does it come about then, that the quartz watch can display the time to the second? The solution can be found in the quartz oscillator.