Facetted Smoky Quartz

This is quite a special facetted smoky quartz that was given to me by Barbara Smigel, ex owner of ACStones.com.

She gave it to me years back during an anniversary sale, because it has just a little chip at one of the corners.. but this could be easily concealed using a prong when setting...

The special facetted trapezoid cut gives the otherwise common stone a beautiful make over!

Bugging Quartz

One of my newest purchase recently:

A pair of reverse carved quartz with a design of a cockroach-like bug in each.

I really like the details on these pieces, if you look carefully at the legs, you can even see that the artisian spent a lot of time carving the details.
Looks great for a pair of cufflinks...

Black Phantom Quartz Crystals

These double terminated quartz crystals look so common...

But on closer look, one realises that the black colour is not solid and is actually caused by the inclusions in the stone!



This piece is more unique... almost a sceptre:

Hollandite in Quartz

You arent seeing stars...

neither have these pictures been photo shopped!
These crystals are actually quartz crystals with an inclusion mineral known as hollandite.

The 6 pointed stars you see in the quartz is actually the mineral, hollandite!

Such crystals have been used in healing as they aid rational thought and helps discharge tension and negative energy on both an emotional and a physical level. It is balancing, encouraging a neutral and relaxed attitude.

Smoky Quartz Cluster

This smoky quartz cluster was one of my first few quartz clusters that I owned.

It has a nicely shaped crystals and a interesting habitat.

Chlorite in Quartz

This is a very interesting piece of chlorite in quartz specimen:

The layered inclusions on the face of the crystal look like that of a thumprint, check out the zoom up below:


Chlorite inclusions are very common in alpine-type environments, and generally occur in fissures and pockets inside igneous and metamorphic rocks, and in sedimentary rocks that are rich in clay minerals. "Chlorite" is actually the name for a group of phyllo-silicates (sheet-silicates), minerals of mica-like appearance. The name refers to the very common green color, although chlorite minerals do not have to be green.

Chlorite minerals form at low to moderate temperatures. Often quartz from alpine-type clefts has a chlorite "icing" on the crystal surface, giving them a rough and dull look, because the crystals started to grow at high temperatures, and when their growth slowed down at lower temperatures, chlorite formed in the pocket and settled on the crystal faces.

Amethyst flowers

A gorgeous amethyst flower crystal, take a look does this really look like a boquet of flowers with the leaves?

Amethyst flowers are a rare form of the mineral amethyst.

Unlike its deep, dark purple cousins, this piece demonstrate the diversity of amethyst in general, and the highly unique and rare character of this amethyst in particular. This gorgeous mineral is simply elegant!

Rutile in Quartz carving of bottle gourd

Here's a bottle gourd (hulu) carved out of rutiliated quartz.

Look at the nice gold needles in the carving!

The hulu is an ancient remedy for health. In the old days the doctors would carry medicine inside so it has fabled properties for healing. The hulu is believed to absorb negative earth-based qi (energy) that would otherwise affect health and is a traditional Chinese medicine cure. Dried calabash is also used as containers of liquids, often liquors or medicine. Calabash were also grown in earthen molds to form different shapes and dried to house pet crickets, which were kept for their song and fighting abilities. The texture of the gourd lends itself nicely to the sound of the animal, much like a musical instrument. It is a symbol of the Xian immortals.

Calcite butterfly on quartz

A simple wirework that mounts a butterfly with wings carved from orange calcite onto a quartz point.

Bright colours which liven up the surroundings!

Chinese seal carved from quartz

This is a chinese seal carved off quartz. The top part of the seal is a carving of a dragon.

Most people in China possess a personal name seal. Artists, scholars, collectors and intellectuals may possess a full set of name seals, leisure seals, and studio seals. A well-made seal made from semi-precious stones can cost between ¥400 and ¥4000.

Seals are still used for official purposes in a number of contexts. When collecting parcels or registered post, the name seal serves as an identification, akin to a signature. In banks, traditionally the method of identification was also by a seal. Seals remain the customary form of identification on cheques in Mainland China and Taiwan but not in Hong Kong where signatures are required. Today, personal identification is often by a hand signature accompanied by a seal imprint. Seals can serve as identification with signatures because they are difficult to forge (when compared to forging a signature) and only the owner has access to his own seal.

Seals are also often used on Chinese calligraphy works and Chinese paintings, usually imprinted in such works in the order (from top to bottom) of name seal, leisure seal(s), then studio seal. Owners or collectors of paintings or books will often add their own studio seals to pieces they have collected. This practice is an act of appreciation towards the work. Some artworks have had not only seals but inscriptions of the owner on them; for example, the Qianlong emperor had as many as 20 different seals for use with inscriptions on paintings he collected. Provided that it is tastefully done (for example, not obscuring the body of the painting, appropriate inscription, fine calligraphy, etc), this practice does not devalue the painting.

Seals are usually carved out by specialist seal carvers, or by the users themselves. Specialist carvers will carve the user's name into the stone in one of the standard scripts and styles described above, usually for a fee. On the other hand, some people take to carving their own seals using soapstone and fine knives, which are widely available and is cheaper than paying a professional for expertise, craft, and material. Results vary, but it is possible for individuals to carve perfectly legitimate seals for themselves.

Enhydro Quartz Crystal

A big arrow is drawn on the face of this crystal?

Defacing the art of Mother Nature?

Not really... but rather the arrow marks the location of an important inclusion in this crystal! It is a Enhydro Quartz Crystal .

Technically speaking, an enhydro is "a hollow nodule or geode of chalcedony containing water, sometimes in large amounts" per the The American Geological Institute’s Glossary of Geological Terms. As such, these crystals are actually not enhydros but more accurately referred to as "quartz with bubble fluid inclusion".

These crystals formed millions of years ago (220-400 million years ago by some estimates) as the edges of the quartz formed faster than the center. As this happened, troughs were formed that trapped the water solution or other foreign matter. When these troughs were covered by more crystal growth, the captured water (sometimes salt water or other liquid) would "gas out" or cool and contract and a bubble would form in the liquid.
Enhydro water bubble quartz is a true spectacle of nature. Being able to see gas bubbles move in solid rock that was formed millions , or perhaps even billions, of years ago is hard to imagine but enjoyable to watch!

Huge facetted smoky quartz

Another large facetted smoky quartz on display!



Compared with a Singapore 10 cent coin, this gem is nearly twice the size. If you look carefully, you can see some striations on the gem table!

Chlorite in Quartz

This polished quartz point has inclusions of green chlorite..

giving it the trade name of scenic quartz as the inclusions do form a design similar to 'scenic paintings'

Sceptre Quartz

No, it's not something obscene that I posted up today!

Rather, this is really a work done by Mother Nature and is known as Sceptre Quartz !

Doesnt it remind you of some phallic looking object?

Roze Quartz

The stone of love is shaped into a sphere... and sits on a pedestal carved from similar material..



can you feel love is in the air?

Tourmaline on Quartz

Tourmaline on Quartz specimen..




The gemmy tourmaline crystal appears to be bicoloured and exhibits a range of green colours!

Smoky Quartz

No... smoke has not gotten into your eyes..




This quartz specimen is of a nice even natural colouration and has even been polished on all sides!

Red Phantom Quartz

With striking red heamatite inclusions, this quartz crystal simply stands out from the rest!

Barnacle Quartz

This quartz cluster just reminds me of goose barnacles!

The quartz, is opaque, as compared to clear quartz!

Double Terminated Quartz

A naturally formed doubly terminated quartz, free from matrix!



This specimen has really interesting inclusions in it!