Last month we talked about Quartz found in the United States. Specifically, clear or colorless Quartz crystals.

You can read that article, as well as other gemstones found in the U.S.,by clicking on the blog link in the upper right!

But of course, we all know that there are several beautiful varieties of “Quartz” crystals, so we will explore them in more detail here!

So, what are the varieties of Quartz that have color? Some of the most well-known varieties are Smoky Quartz, Rose Quartz, Amethyst and Citrine. The color varieties are driven by trace elements and natural irradiation. Clear quartz is the purest. Smoky Quartz gets its brown-to-black color from natural irradiation of aluminum-substituted silicon sites. Rose Quartz owes its pink color to microscopic fibrous inclusions of a dumortierite-like mineral. Amethyst, the purple quartz, contains iron and aluminum and is also naturally irradiated.  Natural Citrine, whose color ranges from a pale yellow, to amber, to light brown due to ferric impurities, is extremely rare.

All of these types of Quartz are also found in crystal formation within the United States.

Smoky Quartz is more commonly found in the eastern United States, such as in Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Massachusetts. But it is also found elsewhere including in Lincoln County, New Mexico, on Pikes Peak in Colorado, and in Butte, Montana. Crystal Peak in Teller Colorado is the best-known Smoky Quartz locality in the United States and sometimes they are found with Amazonite crystals.

Rose Quartz rarely occurs in crystals; however, some crystals have been found in Maine, in South Dakota, and in Pala, California.

Amethyst is widely distributed throughout the United States. The quality can vary greatly from massive to crystals, and from pale to deep purple color. Pennsylvania and North Carolina have produced good quality Amethyst, as well as Maine, Michigan and New Hampshire. The Four Peaks Mine in the Mazatzal Mountains outside of Phoenix, Arizona sits on private lane and is currently the only commercial Amethyst mine in the U.S. The mine is only accessible by helicopter or a long 3-hour hike as there are no roads. The company does offer tours!

Citrine is extremely rare in nature and is most often heat-treated poor quality Amethyst.  However, natural crystals have been found in the Strickland Quarry in Portland, Connecticut and in Bedford, New York.