July 2026
Quartz
For this month’s Dispatch, we’re exploring the natural beauty of Quartz in all its forms.
Quartz is a magnificent mineral that most people are probably familiar with to some degree. Found in jewelry, electronics, products and more, it’s not only beautiful but has a number of qualities that make it quite functional. As one of the most commonly found minerals on the planet by mass, its abundance has ensured its popularity across time and geographies. Quartz represents a hardness of 7 on the Mohs Scale, a system which ranks mineral hardness from 1 to 10 (with 10 being the hardest). As such, it is durable and strong enough to withstand the wear and tear of daily life. It is silica based, a primary component shared by sand and glass, and comes in a multitude of colors, shapes, and degrees of clarity.
Fig. l(a). Morphology of a quartz crystal as a natural mineral (hexagonal prisms, St. Agnes, Cornwall, diameter 30 cm). (b) The crystal transforms near 846 K from high-symmetry phase ~ via (an) incommensurate phase(s) to a low-symmetry phase (l (courtesy A. Putnis).
Quartz naturally forms in two general varieties, the first of which are macrocrystalline structures, including crystals, geodes, large rock like formations, and druzy which form a surface of microscopic glittering crystals that are surreally satisfying to behold. At an atomic level, its crystals align and build upon each other to form what we see as a distinctive hexagonal prisms. Microcrystilline quartz is more dense and results in smoother planes of agate, chert and other types of quartz. When we talk about quartz most people might imagine the clear stones we refer to as rock crystal but rose quartz, citrine, tiger’s eye, rutilated quartz and amethyst are all different varieties of quartz. This wide range of colors owes itself to two possible origins, either trace elements found in quartz or colored inclusions of other minerals.
Quartz has been used since ancient times, its name being derived from the ancient Greek word for ice, krustallos. It was used for cameos, amulets and in some cultures carved into figurines. Even though quartz was not rare, it was used by royalty as a status symbol, made into refined objects by skilled artisans, and considered to have mystical properties. Polished quartz balls were said to aid in divination and were valued by spiritual practitioners for their healing abilities.
Bird, 1580, German, Rock Crystal with Gilded Silver and Rubies
By the late 19th century, quartz was discovered to generate an electrical charge when mechanically stressed. As the industrial revolution took hold, quartz became an integral component of electronics and used in radios, watches, sensors and eventually in our more modern GPS and smartphone devices. As such, quartz has proved itself as ever present in our lives, parallelling society’s evolution and continuously supplying us with new creative utilities. If you are interested in wearing a piece that reflects this history, please reach out.
