I apologize-we recently acquired a huge collection of mostly Petrified Wood and as that was not our expertise, I have spent a lot of time learning all I can about it. While learning I have been writing blogs on my other website to share what I have learned. If you are interested in Petrified Wood, you can find those blogs, as well as lots of Petrified Wood for sale here:

https://www.oakrocks.net/blog/

So now I need to get back to writing interesting articles for my jewelers! Though not all my stone cabochon materials Bruce cuts come from the United States, many do. So, I am continuing my series of rocks and minerals found specifically in the U.S.  If you like to see my previous blogs (diamonds, semiprecious stones, petrified wood, etc.), please click on the Stones and Jewelry Blog link in the upper right!

Today I am going to focus on Quartz found in the United States. Specifically, Quartz crystals. Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals on earth. It is found on every continent, and every country, and in every state in the U.S.

Quartz crystals grow in open cavities, known as vugs, in granite, pockets in pegmatites, solution cavities in sedimentary rock, and veins cutting through metamorphic terrain. The most abundant mineral found in perfect crystals is Quartz! Often the crystals are covered with smooth, shiny faces. Quartz occurs in small to very large crystals, sometimes milky or even white, and sometimes optically clear. Optically clear does not mean no inclusions-it means that the crystal itself is colorless of transparent. Though optically clear quartz without any inclusions does exist, and quartz has a great hardness of 7, it is not usually faceted.  This is because it has low refraction and a low dispersion; meaning it does not have the “play of colors” or sparkle that diamonds have.

Transparent Quartz is found in quantity in Middleville and Ellenville in New York. The famous “Herkimer Diamonds” found in western New York are not genuine diamonds, they are double-terminated quartz crystals that form in vugs of the Little Falls Dolostone.

Arkansas's Hot Springs region, in the Ouachita Mountains, is famous for its deposits of some of the largest and clearest quartz crystals in the world. There are several pay to dig sites there.

California’s Pala District in northern San Diego County, is a renowned region for mining gemstones and is considered one of North America’s most important gemstone localities. Along with i's famous tourmaline and kunzite crystals, many beautiful quartz crystals are found here. They too have pay to dig sites.

The Spruce Pine district near Chestnut Hill, North Carolina produces large quartz crystals, but they are mined for industrial purposes because of their high-purity, so the area is not open to collectors. However, at the Emerald Hollow Mine in Hiddenite (Alexander County, about an hour southwest) and several smaller pay to dig operations in the Spruce Pine area provide access to clear quartz, as well as smoky quartz, and occasionally rutilated quartz.

Diamond Point, near Payson, Arizona produces small, clear, doubly terminated quartz crystals similar to Herkimer diamonds, though smaller. The Quartz crystals here are transparent and well-formed.

Of course, we all know that there are several beautiful varieties of “Quartz” crystals (Smoky Quartz, Rose Quartz, Amethyst…), so we will explore them in more detail next month!