If you’re looking for bracelets, necklaces, crosses, religious medallions, key holders, rosaries and accessories made with quartz, visit Quarzos Y Mas store at the Swap Meet in Maclin. This store is owned by Raul and Ana. They have been selling quartz products for many years and most of accessories were made by Ana. If you want to know more about quartz and get the contact information of the store, please continue reading.
Quartz is one of the most recognizable minerals on Earth and is generally defined as a hard crystalline material made up of silicon and oxygen atoms. It is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth’s continental crust. There are different types of quartz, some are considered as semi-precious gemstones. These particular varieties have been widely used in jewelry and hardstone sculptures, especially in Eurasia. In this article, we will briefly discuss the history and origins of quartz as a mineral and delve deeper into its more modern uses.
The origin of the term quartz was derived from an old German word Quarz first used by Georgius Agricola in 1530. However, it has been appreciated by older civilizations and were known to ancient Greeks as krystallos, or ice crystal, pertaining to water-clear crystals. They believed that quartz was ice that never melted because it was formed by the gods. Quartz also appears in Australian Aboriginal mythology as a mythical substance while in Europe, it is found regularly in passage tomb cemeteries. Many countries used quartz for tools such as the Sumerians who cut and engraved various quartz stones as cylinder seals and used them later as ring seals. As the Sumerians invented writing, quartz was probably one of the first gemstones to be written on and also used as a stamp to make a written impression in clay. Despite being a fairly common mineral, quartz holds great economic importance. Quartz’s piezoelectric properties were discovered by Jacques and Pierre Curie in 1880 and this discovery led to the use of quartz for more electrical and mechanical applications such as oscillators in radios, watches, and pressure gauges, and in the study of optics. Sandstone, composed mainly of quartz, is an important building stone. Crushed quartz is used as an abrasive in sandpaper, silica sand is employed in sandblasting, and sandstone is still used whole to make whetstones, millstones, and grindstones.
A school of thought also believes that quartz has spiritual and physical healing attributes. Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian civilizations believed that quartz crystals were strong talismans. Quartz is generally regarded as a “master cleaner”, said to dispel negativity and clear away any negative energy. Though different varieties would have different specific uses, many believe that it helps create harmony within families and protect homes from toxic energy.
As gemstones, some varieties have been considered precious since ancient times, the Egyptians made beads, scarab figures, and other jewelry from many of the quartz stones. In East Asia, Pre-Columbian America, Europe and Middle East, quartz were most commonly used in jewelry and hardstone carving. Quartz is the most versatile among the gem families. It includes more variety and a larger number of gems than any of the other three mineral families combined.
Although many of the varietal names historically arose from the color of the mineral, current scientific naming schemes refer primarily to the microstructure of the mineral. Color is a secondary identifier for the cryptocrystalline minerals, although it is a primary identifier for the macrocrystalline varieties. Here are a few popular varieties:
Amethyst is a form of quartz that ranges from a bright vivid violet to dark or dull lavender shade. The world’s largest deposits of amethysts can be found in Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Russia, France, Namibia and Morocco. Sometimes amethyst and citrine are found growing in the same crystal, combining golden citrine and purple amethyst. It is then referred to as ametrine. An amethyst is formed when there is iron in the area where it was formed. Of the transparent types of quartz, amethyst is the most valuable.
Pure quartz, traditionally called rock crystal or clear quartz, is colorless and transparent or translucent, and has often been used for hardstone carvings. In popular culture, they are often recognized as kind fortune tellers’ crystal balls are made out of.
Citrine is a variety of quartz whose color ranges from pale yellow to brown. Natural citrines are rare; most commercial citrines are heat-treated amethysts or smoky quartzes. However, a heat-treated amethyst will have small lines in the crystal, as opposed to a natural citrine’s cloudy or smoky appearance. Brazil is the leading producer of citrine, with much of its production coming from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The name is derived from the Latin word citrina which means “yellow” and is also the origin of the word “citron”. Citrine has been referred to as the “merchant’s stone” or “money stone”, due to a superstition that it would bring prosperity.
Prasiolite, also known as vermarine, is a pale green variety of quartz. It is a rare mineral in nature, so most are produced by heating amethyst hence, some jewelers refer to it as green amethyst. Since 1950, almost all natural prasiolite has come from a small Brazilian mine, but it is also seen in Poland. Naturally occurring prasiolite is also found in the Thunder Bay area of Canada.
Rose Quartz is a pale pink to dark rose variety. Trace amounts of titanium, iron, or manganese, in the material are generally considered as the cause of its pink color. It is one of the more popular stones in spiritual practices. Called the Heart Stone, Rose Quartz may have been used as a love token as early as 600 B.C. and is still an important talisman of relationships.
Quartz has a huge economic impact in the modern world and its use ranges from pure aesthetic to life-changing. Whatever you use quartz for, it remains as an indispensable part of history and because of its abundance, durability and affordability, it will probably remain as one of the most in demand resources in the future.
Call (909) 761-6844 and look for Ana or Raul if you have questions about their products especially their quartz collection. Their store is in Swap Meet Ontario/Chino area (Maclin Open Air Markets). If you’re looking for something else, please download our Swap Meet Shops app to see the Swap Meet Ontario/Chino products they are offering from the App Store and Google Play.
Here’s one of our Youtube videos about Fountains, enjoy!