Are you trying to quit smoking? And if so, are you getting irritated and flammable? Do you have a bad temper, due to the detoxification process? Experts indicate that wearing smoky quartz is a remarkable aid when you want to quit smoking.
And for all the other non-smokers or the ones that don’t want to stop their habits… the smoky quartz is a beautiful and exciting gemstone, well worth talking about.
The Celts started around 300BC to colonize the British Islands. In Scotland, they found a beautiful brown to black quartz in the Cairngorm Mountains.
The very dark brown to black quartz was called ‘morion’ by the Celts and the yellow-brown to grayish-brown quartz was named ‘Cairngorm’, after the place in the Scottish highlands where this smoky quartz was found.
The name ‘smoky quartz’ was not used before 1837 when a gemologist first reported the gemstone and named it after its color.
The gemstone became very popular with the Highlanders and they added it to their traditional adornment in pins for their kilts or handles for their daggers.
The smoky quartz found in the Cairngorm Mountains is very wanted by jewelry lovers, because of the special dark brown shade or color, that is rarely found. Therefore the brown variety is expensive.
The Celts regarded this quartz as the stone of power and therefore added the gem to the handles of their daggers. And if you have seen the movie Braveheart met Mell Gibson, you know that the Scottish clansmen could use a stone of power.
The educated members among the Celts were the Druids. They were the teachers, judges, and priests of the tribe. The Druids regarded the gemstone as sacred and the symbol of the dark power of the gods and goddesses on Earth.
Not only in Scotland, but the quartz was also regarded as the Stone of Power. Also in shamanism, it was a magic stone and served in their rituals. The stone could absorb all the negative energy and could even neutralize the negative power sent by another Druid or shaman.
No wonder the gem is very well known in the necromancy or Black Magic surroundings. With this stone, you get a kind of shield against a psychic attack, against stress, and has healing capacities.
The black variety of smoky quartz is called morion, and this variety is used in Black Magic or necromancy. The first ‘morion quartz’ is found in Scotland, but the name comes from elsewhere.
Possibly from the Greek language, where it means ‘baneful or hideous’. Or from the French ‘moreau’, which means ‘black’. In Germany, Denmark, Spain, and Poland they call this variety of smoky quartz ‘morion’.
This very dark brown to opaque black smoky quartz is often faceted and brilliant-cut for use in jewelry. Or… to decorate weapons with. To get that black power used in the fight.
But morion has also featured healing trauma, coping with stress, and overcoming a lack of trust. It gives you alertness and you are productive. This is all according to the believers.
And for the Black Magic addicts…
The legend goes that when you put bones in a solution with morion, those bones become hard, as hard as steel. And all the necromantic effects don’t affect you. If you carry a bone that is treated with the morion solution another necromancer cannot bewitch you.
In China, they knew the benefits of smoky quartz since the 12th century. With flat planes of the gemstone, they made the first sunglasses in history. They called the material Ai Tai, which means ‘dark clouds’. Perfect to protect yourself against strong sunbeams.
No eye correction or protection against harmful UV rays, but it worked. Even for the Chinese judges, who wore sunglasses when they interviewed suspects. Ideal when you don’t want to show your emotions or opinion. Just like nowadays.
The color of the smoky quartz ranges from brownish gray to an almost opaque brownish-gray to black. It is quartz or crystal and the brown color comes from silicon dioxide and natural irradiation.
Apart from the opaque black variety, the smoky quartz is not opaque, but transparent. If there were any inclusions in the gemstone they are visible to the naked eye.
The longer the quartz is in the ground, the darker it becomes. This is caused by natural radiation and some traces of aluminum. And the most expensive smoky quartz is the black variety.
This means too that the process of the gemstone getting darker can be manipulated. Some jewelers heat the smoky quartz to get just the color they want for their design.
Previous in this blog I mentioned the two varieties of smoky quartz – the Cairngorm of brown quartz and the Morion, the black one – both mined in the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland. That is at the moment they hardly find any smoky quartz anymore.
The Cairngorm or Moorland Topaz is yellow to brown and it is said that it brings some light to the darkness of the hearts. It keeps one safe in dark times or areas.
Then there is the Brandberg Smoky Quartz which is a mixture of clear quartz, smoky quartz, and amethyst (also quartz, but purple). This variety is only found in Namibia (Southern Africa) and has rare inclusions in the gemstone.
The ordinary smoky quartz is abundant and therefore not that expensive. So why should someone copy this gemstone? And how to get any profit then?
But just to be sure… if you hold smoky quartz into or near a light and change the angles a bit, you should see different colors. Don’t expect a red color if you look at brown smoke quartz, but the color or the shades differ.
Then is natural smoky quartz heavier than a copy and in a copy, you could see air bubbles (glass blowing bubbles).
Quartzes are very popular for artificially threatening to get them a darker color or a different color altogether. You can notice this because then the gemstone gets unnatural dark and are not transparent anymore.
As stated before smoky quartz is abundant and not that expensive. Quartzes in general are affordable, with amethyst as the most expensive variety. But also rose quartz and smoky quartz can be more valuable, depending on the color.
The clearer and the more vibrant and lively the color are the most valuable. Also the size and the weight matter. The largest piece of Cairngorm quartz weighs 23.6 kilos (or 52lb) and you can see that in Braemar Castle (Scotland).
Smoky quartz is a great gemstone for setting in pieces of jewelry. It is affordable and it lacks inclusions. Especially the men like (according to the jewelers) it in rings or cufflinks.
In the Victorian Age smoky quartz is often used to make mourning jewelry.
Smoky quartz is mostly found in quartz veins in Scotland and Switzerland, in Mozambique and Madagaskar, and in Australia and the United States of America.
The gemstone is called the ‘stone of power’ or the ‘grounding stone’ since it gives you stability and emotional power in general.
The power of emotions is strong. It diminishes your fears, your depression, and your negativity. No nightmares anymore but nice dreams. No headaches and protection against problems with your kidneys, legs, and hips.
It is said that the smoky quartz can help to keep your home safe from thieves, keep your valuables safe, and protects your vehicles against damage. You should be protected against harm while driving on the road and it gives you more concentration and energy to get home safe from traveling.
In a work environment, the smoky quartz can prevent gossiping and it makes your working area a safe place to be.
And combining the power to control your anger and negativity, the power to avoid kidney problems, the power to turn stress into positive energy, and help with intoxication, the smokey quartz is a great way to quit smoking.
Not only does it give a helping hand for you to get rid of the smoke addiction. But when your temper and mood improve with this quartz your family and colleagues will benefit too.
FlorenceJewelshop has quite a few pieces of jewelry with smoky quartz in her collection. Just go to the shop and have a look.
If you want to know more about gemstones? FlorenceJewelshop published a practical PDF with a lot of information about birthstones and other gems. It is free of charge. Just let me know to whom I can send it.
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