Quartz comes in a variety of shapes and colors.
Smokey quartz is a dark brown to black stone of the quartz crystal family. The name can be spelled "smokey" or "smoky." This stone is prized as the November birthstone and is one of only a few brown or black stones used in jewelry.
Composition and Formation
Quartz is a silicate oxide, chemical symbol SiO2. Varieties of quartz include amethyst, citrine and rose quartz. Because their crystalline structures are similar, they are distinguished by color. Smokey quartz forms in granitic rock that produces low levels of harmless radiation, giving this quartz its distinctive color.
Types
Although quartz is found all over the world, the unique conditions required to form smokey quartz have only been found in mines in Scotland, Brazil, Colorado, Africa and Switzerland. Four types of smokey quartz exist: Cairngorm, Morion, coontail and Gwindel. Cairngorm is named for the mine located in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland. The other three are distinguished by their unique color or structure.
Folklore
Smokey quartz is believed to cancel out negative energies and allow the wearer to concentrate on the task at hand and prevent depression. The ancient Druids of Scotland and the Cherokee tribe of North America both held this stone sacred. Ayurvedic medicine believes that smokey quartz brings balance to the "root" Chakra at the base of the spine, influencing the kidneys, bones and reproductive organs.
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