Clear Quartz Crystal Tower - Brazil
This clear quartz terminated crystal is virtually inclusion-free. It was cut and polished in Brazil.
This type of quartz is also known as rock crystal. This name, which has been in use since at least the 17th century, refers to transparent to translucent, colourless quartz.
Natural variations in clarity are relatively common. Cloudier areas can be caused by microscopic inclusions, while clearer sections, often towards the tip, will have formed under more stable conditions.
Some quartz crystals produced in China are made from glass or lab-grown quartz. Although they can look very similar but are often unnaturally clear.
Quartz is a natural mineral, so even high-grade material tends to exhibit internal variations, such as fine inclusions or fractures.
Another common technique is creating internal rainbows. This is achieved by introducing fractures, which produce colour through light interference.
China is one of the world’s leading producers of polished crystals and the main source of fakes and imitations.
This reel on our Instagram page shows quartz crystals that have been engineered to produce colour.
