raw crystals · Large — approx. 10–16 cm
Smoky Quartz Point
A natural smoky quartz point — single terminated, with natural crystal faces showing the prismatic hexagonal form and characteristic stepped horizontal growth lines. The colour ranges from light grey-brown to deep chocolate depending on the specimen, caused by natural irradiation of aluminium impurities within the quartz during geological formation.
Smoky quartz is the same mineral as clear quartz and amethyst — silicon dioxide — differentiated only by what impurities were present and what happened to them underground. The dark colour is not a surface treatment and does not wash off. Natural smoky quartz from alpine localities tends toward more even colouration; material from Brazil or the US can show colour zoning visible in transmitted light.
A tall natural quartz point is one of the most visually direct crystal forms. It reads simultaneously as geological specimen and functional object.
Mineralogy & Properties
Silicon dioxide (SiO₂), Natural irradiation (colour), Aluminium impurities, Mohs hardness: 7, Origin: Brazil or alpine localities
Approximate height: 10–16 cm. Weight: 200–600 g. Origin: Brazil or alpine localities.
Mineral: Quartz (SiO₂). Colour: light grey-brown to dark chocolate brown. Colouring: natural irradiation of aluminium impurities. Mohs hardness: 7. Crystal system: trigonal. Single natural termination. Natural formation — not polished, not irradiated.
- Dimensions
- Large — approx. 10–16 cm
- Weight
- 200–600 g