The semi-precious stone rock crystal is the frozen ice of truth in the depths of the mountains. This is what the ancient Indians believed. It is endowed with magical and healing powers by peoples all over the world - from China to Mexico.
Those who do not believe too much in the otherworldly wear jewelry with pleasure. Rock crystal combines the elegance of jewelry, the purity of natural water and the aristocracy inherent in natural crystals.
The affordable price of jewelry also adds to its popularity.
Origin story
Rock crystal is a natural stone (quartz) formed in the depths of the earth under the influence of high temperature and pressure.
The crystals have a rhombohedral structure, which can be seen already during their extraction. Rock crystal is a stone that does not have an unsightly top layer because it is formed in cracks in rocks (hydrothermal veins) when water cools suddenly.
In nature, it occurs in the form of conglomerates with a pronounced prismatic apex.
The history of use goes back to the pre-Christian era, and the geography coincides with the deposits:
- Magnifying glasses made in Ancient China, about 2500 years old. It is unknown how much natural glass lenses improved vision, but people were already using stone for their needs.
- Crystal skulls, balls, and other occult attributes that were popular among the Mayans. Their exact purpose is unknown, but researchers suggest that these are magical attributes.
- The practical ancient Greeks used rock crystal dishes to cool water.
In Russia, the fashion for products made from this stone was introduced by Empress Catherine the Great. Fine jewelry framed in precious metals adorned the dresses of not only ladies-in-waiting, but also noble nobles.
Crystal care criteria
Any kitchen utensil needs proper care. If you want it to last as long as possible and please the eye with its unsurpassed appearance, it must be properly cleaned. Caring for crystal requires following certain recommendations.
How to wash crystal glassware? Regular stains can be easily removed with detergent and a lint-free cloth. You can also wash crystal dishes using a velvet napkin and a small amount of starch.
Crystal glassware
Crystal glass with gilding
Crystal glasses
To make your crystal sparkle like new, just add a little vinegar or citric acid to the water. After this, the surface is cleaned and wiped dry.
If the crystal is not used for a long time and sits in a sideboard without washing, then a thick layer of dust may form on it. You can quickly get rid of it if you put the dishes in a container of water in which the potatoes were boiled. This way you can clean any kind of dirt.
Lead crystal vases
Crystal glassware with a pattern
Crystal box with silver
If unacceptable cloudy stains remain after washing dishes, they can be easily eliminated by cleaning the material using a solution of salt and vinegar.
It is not recommended to wash crystal in hot water. So it can quickly become cloudy over time. Wash the glass in warm water. Wine deposits can be easily removed from a decanter or wine glass using soapy water. If you haven’t washed your antique crystal for a long time, you can remove the dirt with half a potato. This is a good cleaning product.
Crystal vases
Vintage crystal glassware
Crystal glasses with gold decor
To prevent smudges on the dishes, it is advisable not to dry them after washing, but to wipe them thoroughly dry.
Glass and crystal dishes are a common attribute of home holidays today. The most important criterion for crystal is transparency. If proper care is taken, your dishes will look expensive and beautiful.
Physical properties
Rock crystal has the chemical formula of glass - silicon dioxide SiO2. However, like diamond and graphite (which are both pure carbon), rock crystal is distinguished from glass by its internal structure.
Glass structure is amorphous. Rock crystal has an ordered crystal lattice.
This gives the stone distinctive physical properties:
- density – 2.6 g/cm³;
- hardness – 7;
- fractured crystal structure;
- low thermal conductivity;
- no thermal expansion.
Rhinestone is difficult to scratch by hand. However, if hit, it will easily crack.
Types of stone, color
Depending on the additives included in the composition, the following types are distinguished:
Citrine
Transparent stones with a glassy sheen, from lemon to amber-honey shades. Diamond cut yellow crystal pairs perfectly with gold.
It is believed that owners of jewelry with citrine are distinguished by exceptional honesty and nobility.
Amethyst
Purple rock crystal. According to legend, it was created by Bacchus himself, the god of wine. He endowed amethyst with the power to protect a person from the vice of drunkenness.
The stone helps its owners maintain sobriety and make the right decisions in difficult situations.
Hairy
An amazing, transparent amber stone with parallel veins inside in the form of needles. It is believed that the stone itself chooses its owner, for whom it becomes a love talisman.
Rauchtopaz
A dark, smoky stone with mysterious depth and power. He is endowed with the ability to communicate with the world of higher powers, including dark ones.
Jewelry with this stone is not worn every day. It helps a person with pure thoughts get rid of negative energy emanating from the world. Normalizes sleep and puts thoughts in order.
Especially recommended for people who practice meditation.
Morion
Black crystal. The stone is dark brown to black in color. It is considered an indispensable attribute of alchemy and occult magic.
Jewelry with morion is recommended for people prone to pessimism and melancholy as a means of cleansing from bad thoughts and negative energy.
A special type of rock crystal, the Herckmeier Diamond, is mined in New York State. The stones here are formed in soft rock, which allows them to grow not only longitudinally, but also in width.
The result is stones of amazing purity that are difficult to distinguish from real diamonds.
Deposits and use of the mineral
Morion is a common mineral that is most commonly found in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. However, especially large crystals are mined in Kazakhstan.
Historical data suggests that the first to use morion in everyday life were the ancient Egyptians. During excavations in the tombs of Thebes, thin plates made of this mineral were repeatedly found, to which thin bronze arms were attached. Such finds indicate that people made the first sunglasses using black crystal. It is worth noting that such historical data confirms the legends.
After annealing (a method of refining gems), black crystal is used in jewelry. Often craftsmen resort to subjecting the mineral to high-temperature treatment. This helps make the stone more noble and beautiful. However, after such manipulations, although it becomes more expensive in price, it loses its geological value.
In the last century, black crystal was used by man in the field of radio electronics. Various mechanisms and parts were made from it.
Usage
Clear quartz is used to make jewelry. With a good cut, stones in rings and earrings sparkle no worse than a diamond.
Since its cost is more economical than premium, interior items, dishes, decorative elements, and figurines are in great demand. In this segment, artificial crystal is more often used.
Beyond competition are amulets, magic balls, ritual objects, religious symbols.
Quartz and industry were not spared. The stone is used in optics, instrument making, and radio engineering.
Czech crystal: advantages
Crockery made from Czech crystal is in high demand. This material is characterized by amazing transparency and a high level of strength. Crystal from the Czech Republic is obtained this way through the use of a special processing technique. The fascinating diffusion of light from the dishes looks elegant and expensive.
Czech glass and crystal tableware combines harmonious shapes and flowing patterns. It looks elegant on the table.
Crystal decanter
Cut crystal glasses
Czech crystal glassware is of a high level of quality. It is made by combining modern technologies and old traditions. The design is exclusive and unsurpassed. A large number of elements are performed manually. The product range is wide. It is represented by numerous wine glasses, glasses, vases, plates and much more.
Crystal bowls
Crystal tableware in a laconic design
Crystal candlestick
Meaning and magical properties
All peoples who use rock crystal endow it with positive otherworldly powers. The main direction is divination. An indispensable attribute of full-fledged fortune telling is a transparent crystal ball, skulls, and amulets of power.
It is believed that through the core of a natural crystal, spirits show the future, convey messages to the living, and warn of impending troubles.
Religious objects made of rock crystal are endowed only with the power of white magic. The ball does not allow you to cast a love spell, send misfortune or illness. He is only a conductor of otherworldly revelations, a mediator between two worlds.
The second direction of action of the power of rock crystal is protective:
- Earrings or beads will protect a waking person from the appearance of unclean thoughts.
- A bracelet on the left hand attracts love. On the right - it will not allow you to deceive the hostess, it will protect you from lies, hypocrisy and attempts at manipulation by other people.
- Brooches and rings, especially in combination with other stones, neutralize envy directed at the owner.
Rock crystal is of particular importance for a person’s mental health during sleep. With the help of the stone, you can correctly interpret dreams, and disturbing dreams will be replaced by calm and understandable dreams.
Just put the ring under your pillow and you will forget about nightmares.
Why is rock crystal valued?
Rock crystal is most often found in the form of crystals with a size of 2-4 cm. Much less often you can find giant specimens - stones with a height of up to 2 meters.
Due to its natural density and transparent color, rock crystal has been used for quite a long time to create dishes, all kinds of crafts and jewelry.
In modern times, in many areas such stone has been able to replace ordinary glass. The use of crystals in precious items continues, but counterfeits are common.
However, only natural crystals have a pronounced shine and can complement elegant jewelry (various earrings, bracelets, pendants, beads, brooches, etc.). Quite often, rock crystal is complemented in products with other natural minerals, gold and silver frames.
Rock crystal is valued for a variety of uses:
- The fashion industry produces special perfume bottles made of rock crystal. The number of such copies is always limited, which makes them a desirable acquisition for collectors.
- Popular sets of dishes, boxes and home decor made from domestically produced crystal. Such items are distinguished by their sophisticated design and shape.
- Various awards for world-class awards are made from this stone (the bear is the main prize of the Berlin Film Festival, the Small Globe is for skiing).
- Almost any salon with esoteric accessories has an assortment of crystal balls for mediums, crystal pendants and accumulators of magical energy in the form of mineral druses.
- Today, transparent crystals are used quite widely in industrial fields - optical technologies, electronics. However, for such purposes, crystal is mined using an artificial method - crystals are grown in the laboratory (autoclaves are used).
The mineral is highly valued by jewelers for:
- high attractiveness even in unprocessed form;
- pronounced strength (about 7 points on the Mohs scale);
- resistance to acids and other highly aggressive chemical compounds;
- pronounced shine and looks advantageous regardless of the time of day (for example, a diamond is exclusively an “evening” stone)
- combines with stones of any level and price category, which allows you to create original and unusual combinations;
- the cost of crystal jewelry is 10 or more times less than diamond jewelry.
Note! One of the main advantages of crystal is the ability to create massive jewelry while maintaining a reasonable cost.
Medicinal properties
Traditional medicine uses rock crystal to treat nervous disorders, anxiety, and loss of energy associated with sleep disorders.
Ideally, if the stone suits you is rock crystal. Today it is difficult to find a city dweller who is not susceptible to depressive syndrome or does not experience periodic insomnia.
Healing properties of the stone:
- strengthens the nervous system;
- reduces tearfulness, tendency to explosive manifestations of feelings;
- relieves headaches;
- eliminates muscle tension;
- accelerates recovery from colds;
- Helps withstand high temperatures.
The practical medicinal use of the stone is well known to massage therapists. Traditional healers use physical therapy with polished stones to relieve back and neck pain.
This massage improves blood circulation, dilates blood vessels, soothes, and reduces blood pressure. It is especially useful for older people to wear rhinestone to relieve tension in the lower back.
Who is suitable according to their zodiac sign?
Transparent rock crystal can be worn by all zodiac signs; there are no contraindications. The stone is tolerant and helps anyone.
Special preferences when choosing rock crystal according to zodiac signs:
- Amethyst prefers water and air signs, especially Pisces and Aquarius . But the lighter the stone, the more calming properties it has. Saturated crystals will help you make the right choice and give you strength.
- Morion is the choice of Scorpios . Impulsive and stubborn, they are a perfect match for the black gem.
- Herkimer diamonds are Aries . This is the only sign that ordinary rock crystal has almost no effect on. Those who stubbornly reach the top require a special mineral.
- Earth signs should avoid yellow stones - they burden an already clumsy psyche. They are ideal for Libra and Gemini .
- Rauchtopaz is an ideal mineral for Capricorns . It helps to cope with internal contradictions and become more attentive to others.
When choosing jewelry or an amulet, listen to yourself. Yours will be 100% the stone that evokes a response, a warm feeling.
Why do you dream of rock crystal?
Crystal clear crystal purifies a person’s consciousness not only while awake, but also during sleep. If you put it under your pillow, nightmares and delirium inspired by the subconscious and experienced events will recede. Dreams will gain clarity and become prophetic.
Rock crystal, according to most decipherers, appears in dreams and warns a person of impending troubles. These could be disappointments, natural disasters, or targeted evil on the part of others.
Rhinestone
This is a general meaning, but there are also very specific interpretations:
- If a representative of the fair half of humanity dreams of a gem, then she should not only be careful, but also take a closer look at her companion. It is likely that he is deceiving her or pretending to be something other than who he really is.
- If a crystal crystal breaks in a dream, then in the near future there will be a painful separation from someone very dear, which will be impossible to prevent.
- Only those dreams in which a person receives a gem as a gift or accidentally finds it have a positive meaning. They say that the one who had the dream will soon receive good news and will also become the object of everyone's attention and admiration.
Who is the name suitable for?
Rock crystal jewelry is so diverse that the owner of any name can easily choose a stone “to suit his heart”:
- Earrings, rings, bracelets, and a necklace with a pure stone cut in white gold will suit Anastasia They will emphasize her femininity and aristocracy.
- for Dmitry to choose rauchtopaz. He will balance their emotional outbursts.
- Alexandra can wear a necklace with morion. Her inner strength will only strengthen.
- for Catherine . This delicate stone will emphasize her grace, sensitivity, and tenderness.
- Yuri will be able to lead people more effectively if he wears a hairy ring.
Slavic names gravitate towards light shades. Greek - to more saturated. Amber stones give harmony to owners of eastern names.
Earrings
Raw and polished minerals are used as decorative inserts for earrings. At the same time, the main advantage of inserts after the cutting procedure is the pronounced shimmer in the light, which resembles a diamond shine. For this reason, such products can be used in an evening outfit - earrings made of yellow or red gold will perfectly complement any look.
Rings, cufflinks and tie clips
Men's accessories and jewelry are made from cut stones. Jewelers use laconic white frames - silver, platinum, titanium, etc. In this case, rock crystal can be complemented with matte or shiny gems of a dark shade (for example, onyx).
Must see: The magic and beauty of rock crystals
Jewelry
The semi-precious stone from the frozen ice of truth is used to make all types of jewelry. Rings, earrings, necklaces, beads, sets - all this can be chosen freely, since the price of the products is very affordable.
Approximate prices in dollars depending on the deposit of stones:
- Earrings and rings with small Herkimer diamonds – $5.
- Products made from Russian gems – $4-5, depending on size and cut.
- Magical items made from Brazilian stones will cost around $10-12.
- Tibetan stones go up to $25.
It should be understood that we give average prices. The cost of products varies depending on the artistic value and additional materials used.
Varieties
The color of crystal may change due to the presence of impurities, but its physical properties are preserved. There are several varieties that have unique external characteristics:
- Amethyst. The stone is extremely popular due to its rich purple hue. This variety is considered the main symbol of love, which will not only help you find the right person, but also strengthen existing relationships. The color can vary from soft lilac to dark purple. The most valuable are the bright pink representatives.
- Citrine. A very rare variety, which is used mainly to create jewelry. It stands out with a rich yellow color, which gives off a golden appearance when exposed to sunlight.
- Rauchtopaz. Has a unique smoky color. Color can vary from pale brown to bright brown. Rauchtopaz has a strong aura, which makes it a good conductor and amplifier of magical abilities.
- Morion. A black, opaque type of crystal that is widely used in various rituals. The energy of products made from this material is especially strong, so they are used extremely carefully.
- Rutile quartz. An unusual variety. The pattern of the stone resembles hair, the color of which can vary. The most common samples are straw or soft brown.
Talismans and amulets
Rock crystal, regardless of its color, exhibits the strongest magical properties. A distinctive feature of stones is considered to have a positive effect on a person or home.
To one degree or another, talismans and amulets protect against envy, anger, love spells, and damage.
Rock crystal amulets help a person cope with his weaknesses - excessive emotionality, impulsiveness, a tendency to dependency (including from destructive relationships).
Talismans attract good luck, positive energy, and the favor of others into the house (or the owner). A wearable talisman can help you move up the career ladder, attract love, and gain popularity.
Amulets for the home will not allow people into it who come with evil thoughts. Such guests quickly become “uneasy” and begin to avoid visiting. To protect your home, it is enough to place a decorative element made of natural stone in the room.
There is only one piece of advice for choosing magical protection for yourself, your loved ones, and your home - listen to your heart. Your item will make itself felt with a warm feeling of calm and serenity.
Description, production
Black rock crystal became known millions of years ago. It is mined only in large deposits, the most famous of which are Russia, Madagascar, Brazil, the USA and South Africa. The gem is formed only in hydrothermal veins, voids of granite pegmatites, as well as in greisens. The main condition for the growth of regular crystals is the presence of free space. Surprisingly, some minerals reached a weight of 70 tons! But such finds are extremely rare. More often the stone does not have a significant size.
Morion has a glassy, bright shine. Due to its complex structure, it is often opaque, but allows light to pass through. Due to the lack of cleavage, it is quite fragile, but proper processing of high-quality specimens allows it to be inlaid with various decorations without the risk of destruction. When heated, it can change color - from brown-yellow to completely colorless. To return the shade, it is irradiated with x-rays. It is also unstable to acids. When interacting with hydrofluoric acid, it completely dissolves.
Properties
Black rock crystal is a beautiful nugget that is simply shrouded in various mystical legends. It is very popular among magicians and psychics. They are the ones who claim that purchasing a gem for fun is dangerous. He can only help if you sincerely believe in his power and trust him with your destiny. The mystical properties of the mineral include:
- relieves envy, anger, greed and aggression;
- helps you achieve your career goals;
- relieves fatigue, tension, anxiety;
- reveals hidden abilities, helps to gain authority, gives self-confidence;
- helps to survive the loss of loved ones, cope with melancholy and emotional distress.
Despite the fact that the stone was used as a negative amulet, magicians claim that with proper care, it is not capable of causing harm. To do this, it must be regularly cleaned of negative information. To do this, put the morion in salt water, and after an hour, rinse it in clean running or holy water.
In addition, the powerful energetic power of black crystal can cure some diseases and ease their course:
- relieves pain;
- eliminates insomnia, helps improve sleep;
- improves blood circulation;
- helps rapid recovery after a stroke or heart attack;
- cleanses the body of toxins;
- reduces cravings for addictions and gambling.
What stones does it go with?
Precious and semi-precious stones are naturally energetically charged. Some enter into irreconcilable confrontation.
The most incompatible stones:
- rock crystal – topaz;
- amethyst - emerald;
- morion – zircon;
- citrine – onyx.
It is not recommended to combine stones of different elements in an outfit. For example, pearls, corals, and aquamarine are not combined with any mountain mineral.
How to distinguish a fake?
Colored stones are often counterfeited. To obtain morion, rock crystal is irradiated. To give a noble amber color, the stones are calcined.
However, more often than not, an inexperienced buyer is faced not with a fake, but with falsification, when painted glass or plastic is passed off as rock crystal.
You can distinguish natural stone from synthetic materials in the following ways:
- Warm it in your hand . The natural mineral will keep you cool, while the fake mineral will quickly reach body temperature.
- Scratch the surface . The stone is hard enough to be affected by metal. Scratches form on the surface of the glass.
- Assess color . The color of natural crystal is rarely uniform throughout the entire volume; there is haze, inclusions, and tone transitions.
- Evaluate transparency . Colored quartz is “tinted”.
The rounded edges, the presence of bubbles, and the seller’s reluctance to test the authenticity of the stone should suggest a fake.
Interesting Facts
- Emperor Nero kept wine in rock crystal vessels. Their drinks never lost their freshness and coolness.
- A skull made of transparent rock crystal, found during excavations at the site of Mayan settlements, is made in life size. Inside it is a system of lenses that make the eye sockets glow if a light source is placed from below.
- In Tibet, crystal balls were used as an antibacterial agent for open wounds. Sunlight passing through the ball effectively disinfected the surface.
- A certain Russian oligarch paid about a million dollars for a bathtub made of rock crystal. It was made by a Florentine company from a single piece weighing five tons.