Maybe this is just my fascination with smoky quartz, but there are some pretty amazing facts about this gem material that I thought you might find interesting!
According to www.minerals.net, smoky quartz is a variety of quartz. It ranges in color from light grayish-brown to deep black. It can be opaque, but is almost always transparent to translucent, even in its darkest color shade.
Smoky quartz features a rare yet beautiful transparency which draws light into this rich shade of color. In my opinion, it's a classy yet timeless color and stone.
Another source, www.crystalvaults.com, reports that it is a stone of power. To the ancient Druids, it was sacred and signified the potent dark power of earth gods and goddesses. In other cultures it guided souls to the afterlife, served in shamanistic rituals and tribal ceremonies, and was utilized in magic and scrying to connect with spirits of the lower worlds. Smoky quartz’s phenomenal power, then and now, lies in its ability to protect and ground one physically and spiritually to this world, and to absorb and transmute significant amounts of negative energy and release it into the earth to be neutralized naturally. It provides a vital shield against psychic attack, emotional and environmental stress, and is used extensively in healing and meditation.
Smoky quartz is the national gem of Scotland. The Celts, who began colonizing the British Isles around 300 B.C., mined the brownish-gray quartz in the Cairngorm Mountains of the Scottish highlands, calling the dark brown to black crystals they found Morion, and the yellow-brown to grayish-brown crystals Cairngorm after the mountains where they were located. These stones eventually became prominent adornment for Highlander apparel in the form of jewelry, shoulder brooches and kilt pins, and as power stones on the handles of weaponry, especially the Scottish dagger. The term “Smoky Quartz” was first reported to the gem world by J. S. Dana in 1837 and was named for its color which had been likened to smoke.
Smoky Quartz Uses and Purposes
Some studies have shown that holding smoky quartz can relieve tension and stress, anxiety, or relieve panic attacks. Some superstitions have people believing this stone can help protect the home and possessions against theft or accidents caused by human error. Some researches believe it has the power to filter out bad moods, unspoken resentments, or disparaging remarks that drain one’s strength and enthusiasm. Lastly, some experts believe the stone can help people in quitting smoking, gradually reducing the urge as well as softening the anger and agitation associated with nicotine withdrawal and the detoxification process. That all seems quite impressive if there's any truth to it!
Too much of a history lesson? Let me get to the point;)
What does smoky quartz have to do with Wrist Flair Glass? The transparent gray glass color (pictured above in the glass that I use) that I refer to as smoky quartz, is clearly one of my most popular and often requested colors when it comes to what I make for customers. While I don't use the quartz material itself when I create pieces unless it's incorporated into a pendant finding for a tassel necklace or something (similar to the pink quartz tassel necklace I have listed), I'm all about using the color to achieve a similar look as what the gem itself can do.
The transparent dark gray color has a unique ability to resonate with whatever colors it's worn with. It looks great worn with grays, blacks and even tans and browns. Why? Because it's transparent and it is reflective and has dimension that other colors such as black, do not have. It compliments every neutral color, along with brighter hues of pink, purple, blue, green and even red.
When it comes to jewelry, there aren't too many pieces you can wear that are going to look great with whatever you have on. A smoky quartz piece can and will do that for you.
One of my goals in developing new pieces and colors of jewelry is to make style and fashion easier for the everyday woman. What does that mean? We all fall somewhere on the spectrum of loving fashion and style and understanding what personally looks and makes us feel good. I personally do not love spending a lot of time putting outfits together, let alone picking out jewelry to match. So often times I'm at fault for leaving my house without anything on, as I'd rather wear no jewelry than try to wear something that doesn't exactly pull of the look I was going for.
However, if you have a few staple pieces of jewelry you can always count on no matter how much time you have to put an outfit together, you can rely on those time and time again. Smoky quartz colored jewelry is one of those staple pieces you can count on. Pictured above is a pair of rose gold hopes featuring my smoky quartz glass beads and here is an example of a long tassel necklace where I used my smoky quartz glass beads.
If I can give you something that is convenient for you to put on and wear and makes you look and feel good, that is success in my eyes.
Thanks for reading!