Smoky quartz is natural quartz, colored by radiation underground. Colorless quartz can also be darkened in a lab, so a very dark, even bead may not be natural color. Ask when you buy.
Quartz · Quartz
Smoky Quartz
Cuarzo ahumado
- Palette
- Brown Gray
- Mined in
- Brazil, Madagascar, Russia, Ukraine, Switzerland, Scotland, United States
- Hardness
- Mohs 7.0 ?
- See-through
- transparent
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- its smoky color; German quarz, of uncertain origin
- Also sold as
- Cairngorm, Morion (very dark stone), Smoky crystal
- Intention
- Protection New Beginnings
- Looking for
- Protection Grounding Clearing negativity Letting go
- Water
- Fine with water and mild soap
- Dye or finish
- Smoky quartz is often irradiated or heated to get or keep its color, though some is naturally colored. Ask the seller.
Not in our pieces now
MORION
The very dark smoky quartz called morion got its name from a misreading of 'mormorion' in Pliny the Elder.
200-300 °C
Smoky quartz fades if heated above 200 to 300 °C or exposed to UV light.
GAMMA RAYS
Natural gamma radiation from surrounding rock darkens quartz by activating color centers around aluminum impurities.
What it is
Real quartz in shades from pale gray-brown to nearly black, clear to slightly cloudy. The smoky color comes from natural radiation acting on trace aluminum, and colorless quartz can also be darkened by irradiation in a lab, so a very dark, perfectly even bead may not be natural color.
What gives it its color
Smoky quartz gets its gray to brown-black color when natural radiation from surrounding rock acts on a trace of aluminum in the crystal; strong heat fades it and some heated stones are sold as citrine.
Where it comes from
Smoky quartz is found in many places, including Brazil and the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland, where the stone was long made into Scottish jewelry.
In history
In 12th-century China, flat panes of smoky quartz were used as sunglasses, and judges reportedly wore them in court to hide their expressions. Smoky quartz from Scotland's Cairngorm Mountains, called cairngorm, became a staple of Scottish jewelry, set in kilt pins and in the handles of sgian-dubh knives.
What's said about it
In crystal lore, smoky quartz is the stone people keep for grounding. It's said to help you let go of old hurts and to soak up negativity around you.
In Scotland it is called cairngorm and has long been set in kilt pins and knife handles.
People wear it on the wrist, carry it in a pocket, or keep a piece in a meditation space.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, in a pocket, in a meditation space, or around the edges of a home.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, smoky quartz is paired with the root and sacral and solar plexus chakras, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: on the wrist, in a pocket, in a meditation space. People reach for it when they want protection, grounding, clearing negativity, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraRoot, Sacral, Solar Plexus
ZodiacCapricorn, Sagittarius, Scorpio
ElementEarth
Also calledCairngorm, Morion (very dark stone), Smoky crystal
Care
- Hard enough for everyday wear; warm soapy water and a soft cloth are fine.
- Keep out of strong sun and heat: the smoky color can fade above roughly 200 to 300 degrees C and with strong UV.
- Very dark stones that have been heated or irradiated may lighten over time; store them away from direct light.
- Store apart from softer stones so they do not scratch.
How to tell what you have
- Smoky quartz is clear to brown-gray quartz, hardness 7.
- Very dark black-brown beads can be dyed or irradiated; glass is lighter and shows bubbles. Heating can turn it yellow.
Rules and sourcing
Smoky quartz is often irradiated or heated to get or keep its color, though some is natural. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose irradiation or heat.
Questions people ask at our table
What is smoky quartz?
It is ordinary quartz, silicon dioxide, colored gray to brown by natural radiation in the rock around it. Mohs hardness is 7.
Is dark smoky quartz natural?
Often, but not always. Colorless quartz can be irradiated to make a smoky color, and sources differ on how common that is for beads. A very dark, perfectly even color is a reason to ask the seller.
Will the color fade?
It can. Heat above about 200 to 300 degrees C and strong UV will lighten it, and some heated smoky quartz is sold as citrine.
What is cairngorm?
Cairngorm is the name for smoky quartz from the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland, usually a yellow-brown smoke. It is also used as a general Scottish name for the stone.
Where is it mined?
Brazil is the main current source for jewelry, with Madagascar, Russia, Ukraine, Switzerland and Scotland also named.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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