Smoky Quartz

Smoky quartz has long been a favorite gemstone of the beading community. Not only is it gorgeous, but also affordable and available in a broad range of shapes and sizes. Ranging in color from a pale gray to a rich, dark brown, smoky quartz gets its color from natural radiation in surrounding stones in the environment. Like all quartz, smoky quartz has a Moh’s hardness of 7 and is composed of silicon dioxide. Excellent examples come from Brazil, Switzerland and Mexico. Here in the United States, the best smoky quartz comes from Nevada.

Smoky quartz is a popular healing and meditation stone, especially in the western world, because it is an amazing “de-stressing” stone. It is said to assist with transforming negative emotions (anger, grief, fear, etc.), relieving depression and helping one to be “in the moment.” It is the most universally recognized grounding stone. Traditional healers use smoky quartz to assist with ailments of the hands and feet, relieve back problems and soothe cramps. It is associated with the root chakra and the astrological signs Capricorn and Sagittarius.

Bead World is proud to carry dozens of different smoky quartz varieties.