Skip to content
Free US shipping on orders $75+  ·  Every piece one of one  ·  Denver, Colorado

Smokin'. Rough. Raw. Always hard.

Elestial, Quartz

Quartz · SiO2Mohs 7Skeletal habit

Elestial quartz is the crystal-shop name for skeletal quartz: quartz that grew in stepped, etched layers with many small tips instead of one smooth point. It is ordinary silicon dioxide, hardness 7, and much of it is smoky.

What is elestial quartz

Elestial quartz is quartz with a skeletal habit, a growth form in which the edges and corners of a crystal built up faster than the middle of its faces. The result looks terraced, with recessed faces, layered plates and small terminations scattered across the body. In Brazil it is also called jacaré quartz, after the word for a caiman, because the surface looks scaly, and some dealers call it window or fenster quartz. The name elestial comes from crystal healing rather than mineralogy. The mineral underneath is plain quartz.

Skeletal quartz: how it forms

Skeletal quartz forms when a crystal grows quickly in fluid rich in silica, so its corners and edges, which reach farthest into the fluid, collect more material than the centers of its faces. That kind of fast growth usually means the fluid was supersaturated, holding more silica than it could keep dissolved, often because it cooled or lost pressure quickly. The faces fall behind and are left as hollows and steps. Later changes in the fluid can partly dissolve and etch the surfaces, which deepens the terraces. Mindat's glossary defines the skeletal crystal habit in general, and the same kind of growth makes the hopper crystals of salt and bismuth.

Elestial smoky quartz

Elestial smoky quartz is the form most collectors picture: skeletal growth plus the brown to black color that natural radiation gives quartz containing traces of aluminum. Smoky elestial quartz and elestial smoky quartz are the same thing, and skeletal smoky quartz is the mineralogist's way of saying it. The color can be even or zoned, from pale tea to nearly black, and it often looks darkest in the deep recesses. The smoky quartz guide explains where that color comes from.

Where elestial quartz is found

Elestial quartz is found in quartz veins and pockets in many countries, and Brazil is the classic source, including the state of Minas Gerais. Madagascar produces it too. Skeletal growth also shows up in amethyst and clear quartz, though smoky specimens are the most common in the trade.

How to identify elestial quartz

To identify elestial quartz, read the faces before the color. These are the signs.

  • Stepped, terraced layers instead of smooth prism faces.
  • Many small terminations across the body of the crystal, not one point at the top.
  • Recessed or hollow faces, sometimes framed like windows.
  • Etched or frosted surfaces with sharp edges between them.
  • Inclusions of iron oxide, clay or trapped fluid, sometimes with a bubble that moves.
  • Believable color. The terraced shape is hard to imitate, so the usual issue is color: very even, inky black smoky quartz may have been darkened in a lab.

Elestial quartz care

Elestial quartz care is mostly about dust and light. At 7 on the Mohs scale it is water safe, but the recesses trap grime, so rinse it under lukewarm water, work a soft toothbrush into the steps and let it dry upside down so water drains out of the recesses. Smoky elestials can fade in long direct sun or heat, so keep them away from bright windows. Skip ultrasonic cleaners and hot water, because fluid inclusions and old fractures can crack.

Elestial quartz meaning

Elestial quartz meaning, in crystal lore, centers on change and grounding: practitioners treat it as a stone for calm and transformation. That is belief, not chemistry. The science is dramatic enough on its own, since every step on an elestial records a change in the fluid it grew in, layer after layer.

Elestial quartz for sale

Elestial quartz for sale in the current drop is one piece: an elestial smoky quartz from Minas Gerais, Brazil, one of one and photographed in daylight exactly as it ships. Its label names the mineral and the locality, and it ships from Denver, Colorado.

Elestial Quartz FAQ

Is skeletal quartz rare?

Skeletal quartz is not rare as a growth habit, but large, sharp, well-colored specimens are uncommon.

Is elestial quartz the same as skeletal quartz?

Elestial quartz is the same as skeletal quartz: elestial is the trade name from crystal healing, and skeletal is the mineralogical term.

Does elestial smoky quartz fade?

Elestial smoky quartz can fade with long sun or heat, because energy from light and heat can undo the radiation damage that made the color.

Is elestial quartz water safe?

Elestial quartz is water safe: it is quartz, hardness 7, and it does not dissolve or soften in water.

Is elestial quartz natural?

Elestial quartz is natural: the stepped, many-tipped shape is how the crystal grew in the ground, not a carving or a treatment.

Sources