:Introduction and history
Quartz is one of the most important mineral stones on earth, which forms one of the most important groups of precious stones among colored stones in the world
Quartz is the second most abundant mineral on the earth’s crust after feldspars
The name quartz is derived from the German word “quarz” which comes from Slavic and Polish words and means “hard
Quartz is a stone with a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale
Quartz is often used to calculate the hardness of other gemstones and they are compared with this stone
All quartz gemstones have the chemical composition of silicon dioxide in varying degrees and structures
The two main types of quartz include macrocrystalline quartz and cryptocrystalline quartz
Macrocrystalline quartz includes amethyst, rock crystal, blue quartz, citrine, eagle’s eye, persiolite, cat’s eye quartz, smoky quartz, pink quartz, and tiger’s eye
Macro crystal quartz is more transparent and bigger than crypto crystal, crypto crystal quartz has microscopic crystals that are not even visible most of the time
Quartz gemstones are very attractive, durable and hard
Also, in most cases, quartz is relatively cheap and widely available, but some quartz is very rare while others are readily available
Quartz as a stone is very versatile and can be cut into many different shapes and sizes
For centuries, quartz has been used in making ornaments and jewelry
But today, quartz is not only one of the precious stones in the trade of colored stones, but it is also widely used in industry
:Quartz detection
There is no definitive test to identify quartz
A number of tests are required to achieve certainty
Most of the tests are a combination of traditional analysis and advanced tools, and the traditional investigation is done in connection with the classification of colors in quartz
Infrared spectroscopy is used to show the wavelengths absorbed by the quartz rock
Quartz crystals have a common feature with stones such as tourmaline
Artificial quartz often has colors that are not natural
In many cases, the colors are very clear and colorful
:Quartz color
The color of marcrocrystal quartz varies depending on the size of its spectrum, but clear quartz is by far the most valuable, followed by white or cloudy quartz
Purple (amethyst), pink (rose gold), gray or brown to black (smoky quartz) are also common
But crypto-crystal quartz can be colored and does not show good quality in artificial light
It seems that the best time to see it is after sunrise and sunset, which show deep colors
:The clarity and brilliance of quartz
Quality quartz has a lot of luster, which means that light passes through the stone without any obstacles
In translucent quartz, the light passing through the stone is slightly less
The best quality of quartz is free of any impurities
Because quartz is so beautiful, few people like quartz with nasturtium
The luster of this stone is glassy, and cryptocrystalline forms are often translucent to opaque
:Cut and shape of quartz
Because of the fragile color distribution in the crystals, quartz can also be cut to maximize its color
When the color is better distributed, you can use other cuts
Quartz has a wide variety of sizes and shapes, including fancy shapes, that are available
:Quartz processing
Colorless quartz is often unprocessed
Colored stones are often enhanced by dye (such as opal), irradiation (by low-level radioactivity bombardment), or heating
Some of these stones may be coated with wax, gum, or even sheet metal to enhance color, shine, and resistance
Artificial quartz is also very common. Naturally, colored quartz shows different color segments
:Lithological features of quartz
Chemical formula SiO2, silicon dioxide
Alpha quartz crystal structure: Triangular
Beta Quartz: Hexagonal
Colorless, various colors from white to black
Hardness 7 according to the Mohs scale
Refractive index 1.544 to 1.553
Density 2.65; 2.59 to 2.63 in crude forms
Indeterminate cleavage
Clear to opaque transparency
Double refraction 0.009
Glass luster, waxy to matte
:Quartz: in relation to other similar precious stones
Although different names for quartz stone are determined based on the color of this mineral, scientific classifications are determined based on the microstructure of quartz crystals
In many cases, color is the second identifying factor of crypto-crystalline quartz, but in the case of macro-crystalline quartz, color is the priority
The rest of the quartz types are classified based on location, patterns, or grains
:Ideas for using quartz in jewelry
Quartz is an ideal and easily accessible and affordable gemstone
Even large quartz stones can be bought at extremely reasonable prices
Quartz is available in many colors and in jewelry stores
Amethyst and citrine are the most widely used birthstones in jewelry making
Also, some people believe in the healing properties of these stones such as carnelian
Therefore, it can be said that quartz jewelry and ornaments are available in the market with a lot of variety and you can easily find the quartz you want
Nowadays, quartz is used in making jewelry such as rings, and it is not specific to a certain class, and men and women can use quartz jewelry such as necklaces, rings, bracelets, etc
Quartz can be cut into any shape and used as ornamental designs, and all kinds of designs of animals, nature and trademarks can be engraved on it
:The most famous quartz gemstones
Chrysoprase, a bright green translucent chalcedony, was the favorite stone of Frederick the Great of Russia
Today, this stone is used to decorate many buildings in Prague, such as the Church of St. Vitus
High-quality amethysts are also seen in the royal jewels of England, which were also used by Catherine the Great and royalty in Egypt
In ancient times, amethyst was one of the favorite stones of the high-ranking officials of the Christian Church, and for this reason, it was called the “priests’ stone
One of the finest crystal stones is a 12.75-carat stone that weighs 107 pounds and is housed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington
Quartz is one of the precious stones that can be found in large sizes
Significant advances during World War II led to the commercial use of this stone for radio waves
Today, quartz is widely used in the electronics industry
:The origin and source of quartz
Quartz gemstones are found in locations all over the world
Quartz is one of the main components of granite and other igneous rock
In addition, it is also found as a sedimentary rock and is a common part of metamorphic rocks
Its well-formed crystals can be found in large sizes that can even reach several meters and weigh more than a hundred kilograms.
Some of the most important reservoirs of macrocrystalline quartz are in the following places, which of course are not limited to these places
Amethyst: Brazil, Bolivia, Canada, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Russia, Sri Lanka, America (Arizona), Uruguay, and Zambia
Amertin: Brazil and Bolivia
Aventurine: Australia, Brazil, India, Russia, and Tanzania
Citrine: Argentina, Brazil, Madagascar, Namibia, Russia, Scotland, Spain, and America
Eagle eye: Brazil, India, and Sri Lanka
Parse: Australia, Finland, Germany, and Scotland
Parazolite: Brazil, and America (Arizona)
Cat’s Eye Quartz: Brazil, India, and Sri Lanka
Pink Quartz: Brazil, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Sri Lanka, and America
Rock crystal: Alps, Brazil, Madagascar, and America
Smoky Quartz: Brazil, Madagascar, Russia, Scotland, Switzerland, and Ukraine
Eye of the Tiger: Australia, India, Namibia, North Africa, Sri Lanka, and America
Some of the most important cryptocrystalline quartz reservoirs are in the following places, which of course are not limited to these places
Australia: agate, chrysoteprase, and bloodstone
Brazil: agate, calceon, carnesline, cristeoprase, and bloodstone
China: agate, and bloodstone
India: Agate, Calceon, Carnesline, Chrysopras, and Bloodstone
Kazakhstan: Christopras
Madagascar: Opal, Calceon, and Chrysopras
Mexico: Agate
Mongolia: Agate
Namibia: Agate, Blue Calceon, and Calceon
Russia: Christopras
Sri Lanka: Calceon
Uruguay: Agate, Carnelian, and Calceon
North Africa: Christopras
Tanzania: Christopras
Zimbabwe: Calceon and Christopras
America: opal (Montana and Wyoming), calceon (California), chrysocolla calceon (Arizona), bloodstone and blue calceon (California, Nevada, Oregon)
Quartz: care and cleaning
Wartz has good hardness and durability, although it is fragile, but it is harder than many other precious stones such as sapphire, ruby, emerald and diamond
Most quartz is easy to maintain and care for, however, some forms of quartz such as agate and chalcedony are very porous and easily absorb color and water
To clean precious stones like quartz, you can use soap and water or mild detergents
Then he cleaned the stone using a soft cloth and made sure that no trace of soap remained on the stone
You should also avoid exposing the stone to long-term direct light, heat and temperature fluctuations
Do not use Gazpeti during heavy sports activities, housework, or sports
To store it, wrap it in a cloth and put it in a cloth bo
Always keep precious stones separately
