About Smokey Quartz  –

Smoky quartz is quartz in shades from pale tea to near-black, coloured by natural radiation acting on traces of aluminium in the crystal. It forms beautiful clear points and clusters, and the darkest variety is called morion. Here in Scotland it is known as Cairngorm, and it is the country's national gemstone.

It grows in granites, pegmatites and alpine veins, darkening over millions of years from the low natural radioactivity of surrounding rock.

Care & Cleansing  +

Spotting a Fake  +

Cool Facts  –

Smokey quartz is coloured brown to near-black by natural irradiation acting on traces of aluminium in the crystal.

It is Scotland's national gem – the Cairngorm mountains gave their name to the dark "cairngorm" stones set in Highland dress.

In 12th-century China, smokey quartz was cut into flat panels to make the world's first sunglasses.

Cairngorm stones from the Scottish Highlands were set into the hilts of sgian-dubhs and brooches and became a fashionable Victorian keepsake.

The Science  +