Checklist: How to distinguish acrylic stone and quartz composite from a fake?

Quartz, a polymorph of silicon dioxide, is one of the most common minerals on our planet; it serves as a rock-forming mineral for many rocks of igneous and metamorphic origin. The earth's crust contains about 12% pure quartz and more than 60% in other stones.

Physico-chemical characteristics of quartz

Pure quartz is colorless or white when it contains cracks and other defects.
Its chemical composition is silicon dioxide. Quartz crystals that are colorless and free from defects are known as rock crystal and are used as a gemstone in their own right. Due to admixtures of other elements, such as iron oxides, quartz is colored in different shades. For example, morion is black, amethyst is purple, and citrine has a yellow tint.

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Quartz is characterized by polymorphism. Under normal conditions, α-quartz, also known as the low-temperature modification, is stable. By β-quartz we mean its high-temperature subtype. Independent polymorphic modifications of quartz include cristobalites, tridymites, coesites, and stishovites.

Quartz crystals are oblong hexagons that look like a sharpened pencil. Often form drusen. Large brushes are formed from small crystals.

Quartz has a trigonal system and conchoidal fracture. Hardness on the Mohs scale 7. Specific gravity 2.6 g/cm3. The mineral is soluble in alkalis and hydrofluoric acid. Its melting point is from 1713 to 1728 °C. It has dielectric and piezoelectric properties.

Magic of stone

In addition to its unique appearance, the magic crystal is valued for its magical properties. This powerful conductor of energy is capable of:

• reveal talents, give inspiration;
• protect from negative witchcraft spells (evil eye, love spell, curses, damage);
• absorb negative energy;
• cheer up, increase self-esteem;
• allow better concentration during mental work, therefore indispensable for those who, due to work or study, are associated with huge amounts of information;
• get rid of excessive absent-mindedness and forgetfulness;
• help cope with blues, depression, despondency;
• help in the search for true love and true friends.

Esotericists believe that a sugar stone can tell about the future, establish a connection with space and the other world. Many claim that by looking at a person through a gem, you can read his thoughts.

It is not recommended to display the stone in public. A change in color is considered a bad sign.

The magic of natural stone has long been known to esotericists

Types of Quartz

• Aventurines are colored yellow or brownish-red.

• Agates are distinguished by a layered-banded structure.

• Amethysts are endowed with an exquisite purple color.

• Binghemites are iridescent quartz with an admixture of goethites.

• Hairworms are a type of rock crystal that contains fine-needle crystals of rutiles and tourmalines.

• Rock crystal is colorless and transparent quartz.

• Flint is a fine-grained cryptocrystalline aggregate of silica with a variable composition, which includes quartz, chalcedony, cristobalite, and occasionally opal.

• Morions are black quartz.

• Overflows are opaque stones that are a mixture of quartz and chalcedony.

• Prazemes contain actinolite, which is why they are colored green.

• Prasiolites are onion-green minerals obtained by calcination of yellow quartz.

• Rauchtopazes (smoky quartz) – painted in gray or brown light tones.

• Rose quartz.

• Chalcedony is a cryptocrystalline fine-fiber stone. Translucent or translucent, painted white or honey yellow

• Citrines are lemon-yellow gems.

• Sapphire quartz is colored blue and has a coarse-grained structure.

• Cat's eye is a stone of white, pinkish or gray color with iridescence and unusual light reflection.

• Hawkeye - quartz intergrowths with bluish-gray amphibole.

• Tiger's eye is golden brown in color.

• Onyxes are brown minerals with patterns of white and black, also found in shades of red-brown, brown-yellow, honey, white with yellow or pink layers.

• Heliotropes are opaque dark green stones with red stripes or spots, which consist of fine-grained quartz, chalcedony, and iron compounds.

Magical properties of quartz

Quartz attracts love, luck, success and financial well-being to its owner, helps to develop imagination and think actively, creatively.
Of all quartz, the most magically valuable is rock crystal. This stone has a high energy potential and can be programmed to help achieve any goals. Milk quartz is used for meditation, in order to free thoughts and go deeper within oneself. Smoky quartz is suitable for business people and becomes an excellent assistant in making important decisions. Amethysts and chrysoprase give peace. Carnelian is a symbol of fidelity.

All quartz have a calming effect, relieve fears and help cope with stress. They are also good at clearing rooms of negative energy.

Morion

The most unusual example of quartz is morion, or black quartz. It does not transmit light through itself, unless it is cut into thin slices. It is almost impossible to reproduce such crystals artificially.

Morion

Don’t forget to also ensure that the price of the product matches its type. And also conduct a spectral analysis in the laboratory if the above verification methods do not convince you of the authenticity of the stone.

To avoid all these worries, it is better to buy jewelry with quartz in specialized stores, where they will calmly present you with a certificate and other documentation confirming the natural origin of the mineral.

Healing properties of quartz

Quartz has a good effect on the respiratory system.
Quartz crystals can alleviate colds. Traditional medicine widely uses quartz water, which is made by infusing water with quartz or passing ordinary water through a special quartz filter. It is believed that such water is endowed with many beneficial properties, is useful in the prevention of various diseases, stimulates and rejuvenates the body. It is also used in cosmetology. Washing with quartz water gives the skin elasticity, smoothness and firmness, smooths out wrinkles, and eliminates acne. In addition, lotions and compresses with quartz water are used to treat bruises, burns, cuts, and inflammatory processes on the skin.

Industries using quartz

Quartz has found application in the design of optical instruments, ultrasound generators, telephone and radio equipment, electronic devices, and refractory materials.
It is simply irreplaceable in the production of glass and ceramics. As a glass-forming oxide, it is the primary glass produced from pure silica, rock crystal, vein quartz and quartz sand. Varieties of quartz with beautiful structure, shape and unusual coloring are very popular in jewelry.

Questions/Answers

Review article. It is impossible to talk about every variety, and there is no point. But if you have questions, ask them.

How to distinguish a fake?

Who said that semi-precious stones cannot be counterfeited? How they fake it. And since ancient times...

• Even now, South American agates have an indistinguishable pattern and a nondescript gray color. But there are a lot of them. To reveal the beauty of the design, such agate is painted. Moreover, if the general process is known, then the subtleties (and they are the most interesting) have not yet been figured out by scientists. And manufacturers carefully keep their secrets. Well, that’s right, don’t give your piece of bread to someone else’s uncle...
• An interesting topic is how quartz is used for counterfeiting.
• Blue cobalt quartz crystals have been synthesized in Russia.
• A common imitation of topaz is yellow quartz - citrine.
• Quartz is synthesized in large quantities and is used not so much in jewelry as in technology. For example, to stabilize radio wavelengths and oscillation frequencies on telephone lines and in radars.
• If you have any doubts whether your favorite piece of amethyst, citrine, or sapphirine is a fake, read the description of each type separately on the website.

How to care?

Let's give the quartz their due. Not capricious, not sissy, not picky (“en masse,” Professor Running out of the wonderful book “Monday Begins on Saturday” would say. Haven’t read it? I highly recommend reading it, but not at night - your laughter will wake up the neighbors...).

• And quartz is quite hard stones. Although, of course, it’s still better not to throw them against the wall. As a rule, he is not afraid of household chemicals and is indifferent to cosmetics.
• Wash it in soapy water, rinse, and wipe with an absorbent cloth. In many cities, the water from the tap is such that salt or rust stains may remain on the stone...

Who should wear it?

Try yourself as a search engine. Browse the sites, look for different types of crystals. Look at their properties to see if they suit your zodiac sign. Look for the properties that you need from a crystal.

How to wear?

Eye quartz as a talisman is worn only in silver, set in a ring, or less often in a bracelet.

Quartzes love direct contact with their owner. Therefore, beads, pendants and any jewelry where the mineral constantly touches the owner’s skin are welcome.

In the face of imminent danger, such a ring begins to squeeze the finger and interfere. This happens long before the event (sometimes several months). If you received a “warning” from the stone, place the amulet under your pillow on the 18th day of the moon. The stone will help you receive information about the threat in a dream.

What is the price?

If the beauty of a stone is more important to you than showing off the thickness of your wallet, pay attention to jewelry made from quartz jewelry.

The most expensive varieties are amethyst and rose quartz.

• Rose quartz earrings 1600 rubles.
• Quartz rock crystal brush “hedgehog”, price from 300 to 1000 rubles.
• Beads made of hairy quartz, price 2900 rubles.
• Amethyst, ring, silver frame. Cost 8600 rubles.
• Ball made of Madagascar agate, diameter 47 mm, price 2782 rubles.

What colors are there?

It's hard to say which ones don't exist. Quartz represents the entire palette of colors and shades that nature is rich in.

The whole rainbow of colors, shades, subtle transitions is contained in varieties:

• red;
• orange;
• yellow;
• green;
• blue;
• violet;
• white;
• colorless;
• brown;
• pink;
• grey;
• black.

Where can I buy?

Quartz is mainly classified as a semi-precious stone. These are often sold at stone sales exhibitions. These gems are available on the websites of stone cutters, jewelry workshops and factories.

Go to a jewelry store and try to find something there. The earth is rich in jewelry quartz. Anyone, even if he has a thin wallet and a rich soul, will find a crystal to his liking.

When is the best time to buy?

And buy it however you want. Most of these crystals do not have a clear time frame for purchasing jewelry. But just in case, check the information on a specific stone.

What stones and metals does it go with?

From the point of view of extrasensory perception, crystals of different types can have such different energies that they cannot be worn nearby.

Therefore, we look at the information on a specific type of quartz. What element does it belong to, its planets and energy. From here we select suitable neighbors for decoration.

Artificial quartz

Today, artificial quartz is produced using the hydrothermal method. It is widely used for industrial purposes as it is homogeneous and chemically pure. In this case, single crystals are always grown whose piezo-optical properties are better expressed than those of natural minerals.

When it comes to jewelry, synthetic methods make it possible to create quartz in a variety of colors. For example, very rare green quartz or a pure blue variety that does not exist at all in nature. The production of synthetic quartz is widespread in Russia.

Myths and legends about the mineral

In ancient times, people believed that an unusual pink pebble appeared on earth with the light hand of the goddess of love. Even then, he was credited with the ability to help in resolving amorous affairs, considering him a talisman of lovers for both men and women.

In addition, people managed to appreciate the special properties of quartz and believed that the mineral could give beauty and youth. The raw mineral was turned into quartz chips and added to cosmetic products for the skin of the face and body.

Easterners have a special relationship with pink pebbles. Since ancient times, they believe that the mineral helps create an atmosphere of peace, comfort and family happiness in the house. Following the laws of Feng Shui, representatives of Eastern civilizations always find a place for crafts at home, hang quartz pictures, install figurines and a bonsai tree made of quartz, which is popular in the East.

How to distinguish real quartz from a fake

Quartz counterfeits are rare, as this mineral is quite common. Imitations are usually made for its rare varieties. Thus, fake rose quartz is created by coloring smoky quartz with iron and manganese. Such dyes cannot penetrate deeply and produce an uneven color, which also oxidizes easily and loses its visual appeal.