Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Properties Of Smokey Quartz

Smoky quartz is a form of quartz crystal.


Smoky quartz is a variety of the mineral quartz and ranges in color from tan-brown to light gray. It is a popular stone, often used in jewelry and ornamental figurines. Smoky quartz is the national gem of Scotland.


Features


Smoky quartz is opaque to translucent and ranks a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness, with 10 being the hardest.


History


Smoky quartz was valued by the Cherokee Indians. It was often used in shamanistic rituals. The Druids considered the stone sacred.


Healing Properties


Smoky quartz is a grounding stone. Metaphysicists believe the stone can calm and help relieve depression. Smoky quartz is also used to protect against the negative energy of others. Crystal healers use smoky quartz to detoxify the body. The crystals are also used in Ayurvedic medicine to aid the adrenal glands, colon and other body areas associated with the root chakra, found at the base of the spine. Chakras are explained by yoga philosophy as spiritual energy centers located in the human body.


Metaphysical Properties


Smoky quartz is used for meditation, channeling and to induce peaceful dreams. It is also used to aid children that suffer from nightmares and/or fear of the dark.








Associations


Smoky quartz is associated with the crown and root chakras, the element of earth, the planet Saturn and the astrological sign of Capricorn.


Fun Fact


According to Controversical.com, a sphere of smoky quartz was given to Dr. Dee, the court diviner of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Dr. Dee claimed the "shew-stone" was given to him by angels. A sphere of smoky quartz, reported to be the famous shew-stone, is on display at the British Museum.

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