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Quartz is one of those stones that everyone seems to have. You can hardly go through so much as a costume shop without seeing some representation of this crystal family. Usually, you’ll see clear or rose quartz in movies, magic shops, and even craft stores. What you don’t see quite as often is smoky quartz.
This darker version of one of the most popular crystals has a slightly different energy than its clear cousin. Protective, quiet, and watchful, smoky quartz is one of those stones that it pays to keep around.
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History and Lore of Smoky Quartz
Smoky quartz has been prized for its color, versatility, and healing properties since the ancient days of mankind. It’s the national gem of Scotland and has deeply rooted itself into the culture since the days of the druids.
In China, smoky quartz got its value for a different reason. Unlike some other gems, it’s fairly easy to mold. Snuff boxes were often made from carved smoky quartz.
In the Roman Empire smoky quartz was made into seals, while Egyptians often carved beads and scarabs out of this precious stone.
To put it simply, smoky quartz has been in use by mankind for the entirety of our recorded history. In fact, Sumerians carved some of the first-ever written words into slabs of this stone.
Mineral Makeup of Smoky Quartz
Quartz itself is one of the most common gemstones on earth. In fact, it makes up around 12% of our planet’s crust, but smoky quartz is a bit less common of a find. That’s because this macrocrystalline variety gets its telltale color from natural radiation.
Quartz that’s been exposed to radiation tends to show its impurities more than non-irradiated quartz. The result is a dark, brown or grey, wispy color. In fact, some quartz has been artificially irradiated to achieve the same results.
Like any other quartz, smoky quartz tends to form in crystal points and clusters. It’s found in igneous and metamorphic rock deposits around the globe. It doesn’t matter where you live, chances are there’s some smoky quartz in your general area.
With that said, there tends to be heavier concentrations in Brazil, Madagascar, Mozambique, Australia, Switzerland, Scotland, and the United States. Specifically, this means the states of Colorado and New Hampshire.
Metaphysical Smoky Quartz Properties
Of course, you probably didn’t come here to learn about the mineral composition or formation of this magnificent rock. Smoky quartz has many benefits to offer a crystal healer or enthusiast. That’s part of why we humans have been using it for so long.
One of the most visually obvious of its capabilities is protection. The dark color of this stone also spells it out as an adept teacher of the mystical ways. That is to say, that smoky quartz is a very spiritual stone that lends itself well to mysterious energies.
On the more mundane side of things, this gem helps with creativity. Its quiet energy and in-depth look into, well, everything and how it connects is great at promoting mankind to form new ideas and impressions.
Smoky Quartz Property #1: Protection
The black, brown, or even yellow color of smoky quartz might earn it the nickname smoky topaz, but it also spells out just how great this gem is when it comes to matters of protection. Not only does this stone create an energetic shield of protection, it also clears your existing energy.
Smoky quartz helps us stay grounded and stable, so we can feed all our negative mojo and emotions back into the earth. From there, Mother Nature does the work of digesting and transforming this energy back into positive growth.
One important thing to note is that, like other forms of quartz, this stone is a major energy sink. Part of how it clears your aura is to siphon off the gunk you’ve accumulated and take that on itself.
Your stone will likely need monthly cleansing at the least, possibly more if you tend to use it more often. When in doubt, it’s best to cleanse.
Smoky Quartz Property #2: Spirituality
Dark and mysterious, smoky quartz is a little like a window into the unknown. It can help us see into the veil and even encourage us to be more spiritual.
In fact, if you’re looking to get in touch with the unseen, then carrying around a bit of smoky quartz isn’t a bad idea. There are even those who believe that this gem draws mystical forces to you like some sort of metaphysical magnet.
Some who work with it report an increase in ghost sightings while others report an easier time connecting with their spirit guides. Part of this is the quiet nature of the stone. The less you talk and the more you listen, the more you’re likely to see.
Smoky Quartz Property #3: Creativity
Smoky quartz is a great boost when it comes to your creativity. Once again, this is partly a result of its quiet, watchful energy.
It’s not that this gem necessarily pumps you full of energy. Though, it can help unlock some energy by clearing your aura. Smoky quartz encourages us to look at things a little differently.
Its creative voice comes in the form of getting us to look at solutions to problems we might not have considered before. Basically, this is a stone for looking outside the box and coloring outside the lines.
Emotional Properties of Smoky Quartz
While smoky quartz may be good at helping us see that unknown and protecting us from the unseen, it’s also a great stone for emotional health. Much like the rest of the quartz family, smoky quartz is an excellent mood soother and elevators.
It helps vanquish our fears by letting us see into the heart of whatever is troubling us. Along those same lines, being able to see the root cause of our problems can help boost our mood. In essence, things can stink, but we know that they won’t stink forever.
More than that, this stone encourages us to be proactive about our problems. Those who work with smoky quartz may find it difficult to sit and wallow. They simply itch too much for change.
The same goes for their thoughts. The downward mental spiral we all find ourselves in every now again no longer seems uninterruptible if you’ve worked with smoky quartz.
Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that no stone can replace the help of a trained medical or mental health professional. If you’re feeling not yourself, then it might be time to seek outside help in place of or alongside crystal healing. Everyone’s journey is different and in no way is this us encouraging you to forgo other measures when it comes to your emotional and mental wellbeing.
Smoky Quartz Emotional Quality #1: Alleviates Fears
This crystal has a way of reminding us that everything is going to be okay, and that way is through insight. Fear is the result of not knowing and this gem is all about seeking and learning the unknown.
Smoky quartz has a way of clearing the air and showing us the path things will take. If you happen to also be afraid of the uncertainty of that path, then this knowledge can help ease your worry. Of course, if the end result is something you were afraid of having happen, then knowing it will happen lets you prepare yourself for the inevitable.
Smoky Quartz Emotional Quality #2: Lifts Mood
Of course, this gem doesn’t just help you ease your worry, it also can boost your mood. Smoky quartz has a way of clearing out all the gunk we carry and that leaves us with a light, airy feeling. At the same time, if we’re more sure that something we were dreading isn’t going to happen, then we can relax and actually be happy.
There’s no delusion that things are in the dumps, no boredom with the monotony of life. To put it simply, smoky quartz opens up the world for us in all its horror, but also glory.
That alone can be an incredible thing for someone who feels trapped in their circumstances. Yet, smoky quartz takes things another step further.
Smoky Quartz Emotional Quality #3: Encourages Positive Thinking and Action
When we’re down in the dumps, it can be hard to dig ourselves out. Smoky quartz helps us by encouraging us to think positively about our situations. It stimulates our creativity and pushes us to act on this need for change.
As the great Newton said, an object in motion will stay in motion. Once you get yourself started on the positivity train, it will be easier to keep going.
In essence, smoky quartz’s ability to help you change your thinking and enact positive action can help you stay happier and more productive. This, in turn, creates a sort of positivity feedback loop where the more you change for the better, the more good things will come to you.
How to Use Smoky Quartz
Smoky quartz is a versatile stone of healing, progress, and protection. It’s also a great gem for beginners because there are so many ways you can work with it.
If you prefer a more ritualized style you can do something like meditate in a dark room. You might also choose to hold or set smoky quartz over your root chakra. Black, brown, or white candles make another great touch.
If you don’t have the time or inclination for that kind of approach, you can simply carry a piece around with you. You might even choose to wear smoky quartz jewelry to get your benefits through osmosis.
Of course, maybe none of this is your style? You don’t wear jewelry or meditate. Maybe your chosen chunk is too big to carry around or wear?
That’s okay too. Smoky quartz can be just as happy sitting on a windowsill or in a special cabinet. You can either take it down and work with it as you please or leave it up in its spot to fill the space with its powerful energy.
Use Smoky Quartz If…
Smoky quartz, like most of the quartz family, makes a good gemstone for beginners and experienced crystal keepers alike. You might use it because you want to, or you might be trying it out for the first time because you need some of the benefits mentioned above.
If you feel like you need a little extra protection, use smoky quartz to help cleanse you of old negative energies and shield you from new ones. You can also add this gem to your repertoire if you’re looking to delve into the secrets of the unknown.
This gem helps inspire us to move forward with our projects and also to start new ones. That makes it an especially useful stone for creators like writers and artists.
If you’re feeling down in dumps, smoky quartz can even help clear out your fears and lift your mood. Better yet, it can help you help others and that means it’s an incredibly powerful tool in the hands of a crystal healer.
Best Cleansing Methods for Smoky Quartz
This stone is soft enough to be carved, but otherwise, it’s fairly stable. It isn’t heat sensitive and does fine in water. That opens up quite a few choices when it comes to cleansing methods.
Earth
One of the easiest ways to cleanse your smoky quartz is to bury it. If you own the land you live on, you could even bury it outside. The dirt then absorbs and dissipates any energetic gunk from your crystal.
Of course, keep careful track of the weather and where you’ve buried it. No sense losing your stone until spring because you didn’t realize a snowstorm was coming.
If you don’t own the land or don’t feel comfortable burying your stone outside, you can put it in a jar or container of dirt. Regular dirt from the great outdoors is best. A lot of the time, potting soil contains artificial fertilizers that can damage your crystal.
Water
Another great to cleanse your very own chunk of smoky quartz is to set it in a bowl of water overnight. Make sure the water is out of reach of children or pets who may spill it, but otherwise this is a hands-off method.
Some people choose to use holy water for this purpose. Others add cleansing herbs or oils, such as sage and lavender.
If you don’t want to or can’t safely leave your stone in an open bowl, you could wash it with mild soap and water instead.
Rice
Much like the way it sucks water from electronics, rice can pull the negativity right out of a stone. Brown or black rice tends to work best as it’s more natural, but any rice can work.
All you have to do is place your crystal in a container of dry rice. Typically, you’ll want to leave this overnight, though some people leave it for more or less time.
However long you choose to leave it in, a quick wipe with a cloth should remove any lingering dust from the rice. You can then charge the stone with whatever method you prefer.
Breath and Visualization
In the end, working with crystals is an endeavor that doesn’t require any tools. The only things you need are yourself and the stone. If none of the above methods are available to you or don’t fit your style, you can get rid of that dark energy with nothing but your mind.
For this method, many people find physical contact helpful, but ultimately holding your stone isn’t necessary. All you have to do is picture the darkness in your stone being pushed out by or transformed into light.
Some people choose to add breath to the equation when it comes to their visualizations. Essentially, you breathe light, positive energy into the stone and breathe out the gunk.
Similar Stones to Smoky Quartz
Ultimately, not every stone will be right for every person. We can swear up and down to a gem’s abilities, but that doesn’t mean you’ll experience them.
That’s perfectly okay. In fact, it’s normal for some stones to not mesh with certain keepers.
Smoky quartz can make a great beginner stone, but if it’s not working the way you’d hoped, there’s nothing wrong with you or the stone. The good news is that there are many other stones you can try.
Chances are, if you were trying to work with smoky quartz, then you were looking for a protector, a window into the unseen, or a boost in your mood and productivity. Here are a few alternative stones that you can give a shot.
Similar Stone #1: Infinite
If you need a stone with protective qualities like no other and smoky quartz isn’t working, then infinite might just be what you’re looking for. Celery to grass-colored form of serpentine with bands of white chrysotile, this gem has soft, angelic energy.
It clears our auras and ignites the flow of our lifeforce, but also acts as a sort of psychic shield. There’s little that can get past the strength of infinite’s protection.
More than that, the gentle vibes help clear out our negative emotions. Much like smoky quartz, this stone helps elevate our mood and boosts happiness. Just about the only downside is the fact that it contains asbestos.
To be fair, the more dangerous parts are fairly stable. You shouldn’t run into trouble just holding it for a moment or having it on your shelf, but it’s still something to consider.
Similar Stone #2: Labradorite
Valued for its beauty and connection to all things mystical, this flashy member of the feldspar family has been used by mankind since before recorded history. Labradorite practically glows with blue, green, yellow, and even purple.
This full-spectrum approach helps open our inner eye and expose us to the unknown. At the same time, this gem deflects psychic attack and encourages us to see our own inner strength. Just like smoky quartz, labradorite shows us our own value and encourages us to be strong.
A stone of transformation, it boasts powerful, creative energy that inspires its keeper to keep moving forward. Whatever you’re meant to be, labradorite will help you see it and get there. It will even protect you on your path.
A less subjective benefit comes from the beauty of this ever-changing stone. Simply put, labradorite looks good. A pendant made from it can be one color one moment and a completely different one the next.
This shifting look makes it a popular option and, therefore, readily available. You can hardly go to a craft store or magic shop without finding a labradorite pendant or set of beads. The same can’t always be said for smoky quartz.
Similar Stone #3: Kyanite
Kyanite is an iridescent gem that forms in fanned sheets of blue, green, white, black, or pink. Different colors have slightly different energies, but, for the most part, this crystal has a soft, soothing vibe.
The primary focus of kyanite is as a mood booster. In fact, this stone is so well known for its ability to alleviate the sadness that it’s been used to help with ailments like depression. Of course, no gem alone is going to be a quick fix for mental or emotional issues.
It also happens to be a fairly strong stone of protection, but it doesn’t work quite the same way as the others on this list. Instead of shielding us from potential upset, kyanite helps stabilize and strengthen us. This is especially true of the black variety, which works well for grounding.
This boost extends to our creativity and drives as well, making kyanite a popular stone with artists. For those with less creative projects, kyanite helps us find the strength and motivation to get things done.
Overall, this stone is an excellent relaxer, protector, and motivational gem. Its only real flaw is the weakness of its physical form.
Kyanite melts in water and is easily snapped or chipped. For this reason, it’s not as great a choice for daily wear.
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