One of the most interesting minerals on Earth can be called quartz (photo). Its composition, which includes silicon and oxygen, can be easily found even in a children's sandbox. Quartz originates in crystals, changes its appearance due to its proximity to other minerals, stones and metals, due to which it finally acquires amazing color and luster.
What is quartz
According to the size of the crystals, the mineral is divided into two groups: coarse-crystalline and cryptocrystalline. Amethyst, citrine, rock crystal, rauchtopaz, black morion - these are the most famous and beautiful species related to crystalline coarse quartz. Cryptocrystalline varieties are divided, in turn, into fibrous (chrysoprase, agate, carnelian) and fine-grained (aventurine).
Deposits of quartz are located in mountainous voids. So how does this breed form? Quartz is unique, this is manifested in the fact that the crystal during its growth captures other minerals, impurities, even fragments of silt. Enveloping them, the crystal grows further, and foreign particles will forever become prisoners of stone ice. So rare amazing stones are born, among which the stone “Hair of Venus” and the quartz “Phantom” stand out especially.
"Hair of Venus"
Various minerals can be enclosed in a quartz shell. But the most valuable stone for jewelers is the inclusion of rutile. Rutile, or titanium oxide, when growing into quartz shows an entertaining pattern in the form of needles or hairs. This mineral comes in many colors: from black to gold.
Rhinestone, milk or
smoky quartz with inclusions in the form of golden hairs is called “Hair of Venus”. According to legend, the
goddess of love herself dropped her golden curl into a mountain river, and he froze forever.
What is quartz with gold rutile inclusions? Sometimes it’s fantastic fiery spray enclosed in a stone, and sometimes it really sees the stranger’s magical hair. And when the rutile needles fill the quartz in parallel, the Cat Eye stone is born.
“Hair of Venus” is a stone that protects from loneliness and symbolizes love. They wear it, wanting to keep old feelings or find new ones, give it to a loved one.
What is a phantom quartz?
Sometimes the smallest particles of chlorite settle on the surface of quartz. The crystal continues to grow, and inside it remains the contour of the outlandish pattern. In the transparent thickness of the stone, you can see the snowy top of the mountain or the ghost of an abandoned castle. This is the “Phantom” quartz, which is sometimes called the stone of shadows.
Such germination of mineral dust in a crystal is an indicator of the changes that have occurred with the stone. The more often he was exposed to temperature changes or radiation, the more bizarre his pattern. Such stones are rare luck for scientists and collectors.
The keeper of the Earth’s memory, an eyewitness to global changes, a symbol of frozen time - this is what the quartz “Phantom” is. Perhaps this is why balls from a similar grade of mineral are used during meditation. People believe in the ability of a stone to reveal the secrets of the past. Quartz "Phantom" will be the perfect gift to commemorate a new stage in life.