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Smoky Quartz Stone
Chemical Structure: SiO2
Mineral: Cairngorm or Cairngormstone
Uses: Gemstone and ornamental stone.
Color: Various shades of black and brown.
Refraction: 1.544-1.553
Hardness: 7
A brown or a black colored quartz, smoky quartz is used for unusual faceted cuts. The color of the stone is unusual and can be well recognized by the general public. The commercial market of this particular stone is very limited, because the demand for brown gemstones is not very high. Smoky quartz is very popular as an ornamental stone. The stone can be carved into various shape like pyramids, spheres,obilisks, eggs, figurines and ornate statues. Sometimes smoky gray colored stones are considered as smoky quartz. The color of the smoky quartz is related to the amount of exposure to radiation that the stone has undergone. Natural smoky quartz stones are found in granitic rocks which have a small but continuous amount of radioactivity. Besides this, they also come from many sources around the world. A few of the more noteworthy areas are like Brazil, which is supposed to be the world's largest supplier, Pikes Peak area of Colorado, USA, and the Swiss Alps, which has produced many tons of these fine stones.
