Properties:
Smoky quartz is very grounding and protective, but with a gentle, friendly energy, so is good for those who find more confining or structured grounding crystals uncomfortable to work with. It is an excellent pain reliever, especially for back problems, as it also strengthens the spine, and is frequently used in combination with malachite and carnelian for this purpose. It can dampen electromagnetic radiation, block geopathic stress, and acts as a mild antidepressant. It clears stagnation and removes unwanted, ‘stuck’ energy, releasing it into the earth to regenerate into something more useful. Smoky quartz is useful for letting go of old unhealthy attachments, including people, places and situations, and is therefore also helpful in the treatment of addiction. It can be a support at the end of a relationship, or in bereavement. Used in meditation, it connects with ancestral energy and wisdom.

Attributes:

  • Chemical Formula: SiO2 – silicon dioxide (quartz)
  • Birthstone: Secondary birthstone for Capricorn and Sagittarius
  • Chakra: Root

Mineralogy:

    Smoky quartz is relatively rare. It is generally believed that the colouration is the result of exposure to natural low-level gamma radiation during its formation; this turns included aluminium opaque, so that light is no longer able to pass through the crystal, creating the smoky appearance. Smoky quartz is dichroic under polarised light, changing the depth of colour according to the direction the light passes through it. Low-grade clear quartz (usually originating from Arkansas, USA) is sometimes irradiated to turn it smoky. Treated smoky quartz is not always easy to recognise, but generally appears shinier than natural smoky quartz, with a deeper black colouration (although black occurs naturally as well), and, often, a white colour near the base of the crystal. Irradiated smoky quartz can be quite beautiful to look at, but if you are working with it as a healing crystal, you will notice its energy is fragmented, making it uncomfortable to work with. Faceted smoky quartz is sometimes marketed as ‘smoky topaz’.

Video Guide:

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