Star quartz

The crystallized silicon dioxide (SiO2, better known as “QUARTZ”), is very common in nature. Much of the white stones are massive blocks of quartz, while the most limpid and transparent samples are called “rock crystal”. Though very common, quartz can be found in an incredible array of shapes and colors. Some varieties are given the value of a precious stone; this is where we talk of the “asterism” variety.

A handful of stars. In full sun, the star quartz expresses the best of itself

Asterism is a bizarre optical phenomenon. A ray of light strikes the stone, which returns in the form of a bright star with six or more rays. It’s a phenomenon seen in some sapphires, rubies, diopsides, enstatites, spinels, garnets, quartz. The explanation is complex; generally speaking, isoorientated microscopic rutile needles cross at 60 degrees, causing preferential optical paths. It’s however true that many specimens with obvious rutile formations don’t show the asterism phenomenon, while absolutely clear specimens display a vivid star. It would seem that the rutile needles usually accompany the asterism phenomenon, but the real cause is more complex. Another strangeness is that, often, the star appears raised a few millimeters on the outside of the stone. This causes obvious difficulties to the photographer, as either the stone or the star can be focused at any given time. Sometimes a blade of light traverses the stone instead of a superficial light strip. In some cases the light of the star is blue. In rare circumstances, there can be asterisms with 12, 24 rays; explained by internal germination phenomena. Certain particularly clear stones display the star (often with an incredible number of rays), when viewed in transillumination. Others seem enmeshed in an intricate network that moves when the stone moves, and that seems to want to capture, in addition to the stone, your attention and your imagination.

Star quartz can be found with relative ease even in quite large quantities. We believe that crystal balls used by sorcerers were spheres of star quartz. Currently there is a significant awareness of the importance of crystals, and in particular those of quartz, as regards the possibility of communication between us and other states of being. And, if such communications are facilitated by the crystalline nature of the stone, and its prismatic-pyramidal shape, giving up the geometric shape to have a cabochon or a sphere, we facilitate such communication, the interview with the most intimate part of ourselves, opening the doors of intuition and hence direct perception, beyond time and beyond space.