Rock crystal is another popular name for any variety or type of quartz that occurs in nature, however the term is more biased to indicate transparent crystalline quartz or even white quartz.
The rock crystal quartz is a mineral or stone that forms due to high-temperature hydrothermal processes, even above 200°C, and for this reason it appears filling in spaces in the rocks.
It is characterized by appearing in a well-formed crystalline manner, even exceeding 1 centimeter in length. It is popular to find it forming what is known as quartz drusen.
Rock crystal physical properties
The following table shows some of the most important physical properties and characteristics that rock crystal has and that will serve for its correct identification.
| Quartz | Physical properties and characteristics |
|---|---|
| class, group | silicate, tectosilicate |
| Brightness | Vitreous and matte in chalcedonies |
| Color | Colorless, white, transparent |
| Stripe Color | colorless, white |
| diaphanousness | Transparent to Translucent |
| Solubility | Presented with molten Borax and hydrochloric acid |
| Chemical formula | SiO2 |
| Chemical composition | Or (53.26%), Yes (46.74%) |
| Mohs hardness | 7 |
| Specific weight or density | 2.6 to 2.7 g/cm3 |
| cleavage | does not present |
| Fracture | conchoidal and irregular |
| crystalline system | trigonal |
| Way of introducing yourself (habit) | Hexagonal prisms, columnar. |
| Origin and geological environment | Associated with all types of rock (rock-forming mineral). Hydrothermal (120°C) |
| associated rocks | Plutonic acid igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. |
As can be seen in the table, the rock crystal mineral has a composition and chemical formula of SiO2, in its entirety, which is why it is considered a type of quartz.
Regarding its color, this mineral stands out for being transparent or a little white, that is to say that rock crystal quartz generally tends to be one of the purest varieties of quartz.
Origin and formation of rock crystal
The rock crystal It is a mineral that comes from hydrothermal fluids in active volcanic environments, that is to say that hydrothermal fluids come from magmatic intrusions in the crust or from the magmatic chambers of volcanoes.
In addition, the rock crystal stone is formed by the slow crystallization of these acid magmatic fluids in the empty spaces that are usually in the rocks that make up the earth’s crust.
Typically this crystal indicates a medium to high formation temperature between 200°C to even 500°C, for that reason geologists use rock crystal as an indicator mineral for hydrothermalism.
It should also be mentioned that for gold explorers, finding rock crystal may indicate that there are large concentrations of gold in what are called epithermal deposits.
In this case, the rock crystal usually conforms to accompany the Prayedin veins.
It should also be mentioned that this mineral usually appears accompanying various types of igneous rocks with an acid composition such as granite and granodiorite.
Rock crystal meaning and properties
Many people consider quartz to have very powerful energetic properties, and in fact the rock crystal Being one of the purest types of quartz, it is also believed to be one of the most powerful stones.
Therefore this crystal is one of the most used in the esoteric field because it has many meanings, as follows.
- energy stone : Rock crystal is believed to be one of the most powerful quartz minerals due to its purity and genesis, it is believed to have the ability to attract good vibes and repel bad ones.
- healing stone : People believe that rock crystal can enhance the healing properties of the body that help to improve ailments and also give peace of mind.
- protective stone : Based on esoteric characteristics, this crystal is believed to be one of the most powerful protective stones, and goes hand in hand with repelling negative energies.
To take advantage of all the energetic, protective and healing properties of this stone, it is recommended to wear it as a bracelet or pendant accessory.
rock crystal deposits
It has been mentioned that this mineral is usually related to the occurrence of volcanic activity and magmatic bodies in the earth’s crust, in fact it is formed from the crystallization of hydrothermal fluids that come from these sources.
This type of geological environment is above all very common at active tectonic plate boundaries, that is, in subduction geological environments that form mountain ranges such as the ANDES.
For this reason it is very common to find rock crystal along these ridges filling spaces of fractured rocks and like veins of gold.
Countries like Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Mexico stand out because they have large gold mines where this crystal is commonly found in the veins and in the rocks of the mines.
Rock Crystal Uses
In this section we are going to highlight the different uses that this mineral has.
- One of the main uses of this mineral is that due to its beauty it is used to create pendants, bracelets and other accessories in the jewelry industry or as a precious stone.
- In the esoteric field, people who believe in its properties and energetic power use it as a protective stone, energy stone and even a healing stone.
- In the area of geology, this crystal is an indicator of interesting medium-temperature hydrothermal environments for the exploration of gold deposits.
- This mineral can also be used to make glass, since it is a variety of quartz.
- Finally, the so-called rock crystal druses are used as ornamental stones that adorn the homes of many people in the world, that is, as a collection mineral.