Rauchtopaz, smoky quartz, kerngorm, Scottish stone ... And all these names belong to the same stone. It was originally called rauchtopaz, or smoky topaz. But that was a mistake. In fact, the stone in question is a kind of quartz.



Because of its bright luster, it was ranked as a topaz. And for its special color, it was marked as smoky (rauch) topaz. When its true ancestry was discovered, the mineralogists renamed the crystal Smoky Quartz. But it was already too late, the original name remained behind him. To this day, jewelers call the gem rauchtopaz.

And his story began a long time ago. He is even mentioned in European manuscripts. For a long time, rauchtopaz enjoyed special respect in Scotland, and adorned the Scottish national dress. In this mountainous country it was called "kerngorm". In ancient times, rauchtopazes were mined at the foot of Mount Kerngorm.

They knew about it both in India and in Tibet, where the stones have always been given great importance, or rather their magical and medicinal properties. Each stone was attributed to unusual properties, so smoky quartz has long been considered the sacred "stone of Buddha" and was a frequent participant in meditation.



Rauchtopaz took an honorable place in Russia as well. He was loved by the Ural craftsmen, who discovered a special method of quartz processing. If smoky quartz is "baked" in the dough, then the stone becomes golden. During the reign of Catherine II, smoky quartz gained tremendous success, it can be seen that Russian jewelers were able to put their soul into cutting the stone.




The chemical formula of the mineral is SiO2, impurities of aluminum and iron are possible. Rauchtopaz has a slight alexandrite effect - it slightly changes its color depending on the lighting (daylight and artificial) - from greenish to purple hue.



Primary colors are often complemented by purple and golden hues. Golden brown smoky shades are especially good. The smoky color of the crystal completely disappears when exposed to high (more than 350 ° C) temperature.

In addition to the smoky and golden crystal, rauchtopases with rutile inclusions are popular. At the same time, the coloring turns out to be unusual, as if strands of hair are visible through the transparency of the stone. These rutile rauchtopazes were called the “hair of Venus”.

Not often, but there is a stone of the rarest variety, morion is a black stone. Morion is a very dense stone, has a slight transparency only in very thin plates. This stone is especially appreciated not only by jewelers, but also a desirable acquisition for collectors. For its dark color, morion has long been called the stone of sorcerers.

Smoky quartz deposits - rauchtopaza

Again, how many times we will have to name Brazil. This country is the world leader in the export of smoky quartz. There are deposits of this gem in the Swiss Alps, Germany, Spain, USA and in some African countries. Sometimes large stones are found in Ukraine, in Kazakhstan. In Russia, rauchtopaz is found in the Urals.




Jewelery with rauchtopaz has long been selected in which the stone was constantly in contact with the skin of its owner - pendants, bracelets, beads, earrings, rings ... It was believed that thereby the gem would be of great help.

Rauchtopaz is unusually beautiful in a gold frame.In gold, it looks luxurious, and in silver and platinum, along with the beauty of a gem, some mystery, mystery and special charm are added.

Russian jewelers of the 19th century, along with jewelry, often made many accessories from smoky quartz: seals, inkpots, ashtrays, umbrella handles and walking sticks, small figurines. The Smithsonian Museum houses a souvenir Faberge Easter egg from a faceted rauchtopaz of 4,500 carats.

If in the 19th century rauchtopaz was often used in seances, then in the 20th and 21st centuries smoky quartz appears in the collections of the leading fashion houses - Louis Vuitton, Pomelatto, MIMI, Stephen Webster and many others. Smoky quartz still adorns earrings, rings, pendants, bracelets ...

Healing and magical properties of rauchtopaz

People have long turned to nature for help, were able to recognize their physiological and psychological characteristics. So they endowed smoky quartz with the ability to combat alcoholism and various diseases of the nervous system.

Ancient healers advised wearing smoky quartz in jewelry, and to make it even more effective on the body, it was recommended to keep it on the palms for several minutes a day every day. Smoky quartz is often used in sorcery rituals. His energy was used for both creation and destruction.

Astrologers recommend wearing products with smoky quartz to Scorpio and Libra, the rest are offered inconstant wearing. And astrologers also warn that this stone is for unselfish people who value spiritual ideals, as well as for those who strive for mercy and unselfishness.

The bright and mesmerizing luster of smoky quartz is probably the reason why the crystal was mistakenly called rauchtopaz. And then, in the 19th century, fans of spiritualistic seances made him an advertisement, endowing him with mystical properties. Be that as it may, the jewelers paid attention to it and appreciated its beauty and high durability. Now it's our turn to evaluate the crystal and buy a brooch, bracelet, ring, necklace or earrings with smoky rauchtopaz quartz.