The whole discussion about cryptocrystalline quartz started over on a YouTube channel belonging to the Editor of this website. This is obviously a shameless plug of his hobby channel. Other news websites allow pointed political articles to meet the whims of their Editors. We’re going to do the same thing, but in a wholesome genuinely informative way.

What is Cryptocrystalline Quartz?

Cryptocrystalline quartz is a $50 word for quartz with a crystal structure so small it can barely be seen under magnification. This particular type of quartz, while common, comes in an astounding array of colors and patterns.

The colors and patterns of cryptocrystalline quartz are determined by the elements present when and where that particular stone is formed. The most common elements present during formation are Iron, Manganese, Titanium, Chromium, and Nickel. There are certainly other elements that may be present, but those elements typically produce other types of stone with different hardness. This should not mean it never happens. Nature, if nothing else, has taught us that there is no such thing as a consistent form of normality.

Cryptocrystalline quartz typically forms in fissures and pockets of stone. The most common form of this quartz is a form of fine silica fiber stone called Chalcedony. This formation can happen either as a gelatinous mass that dries and crystallizes or deposited in pockets and fissures. The second type produces the stone every beach comber hopes to find, Agate.

And one ring to rule them all…

The exact identification of stones can be a matter of some debate. Because chalcedony is found in so many parts of the world in a dizzying array of colors, there are obviously different names for the same stone. There is an equally contentious debate as to the value based on location. This author is of the opinion that a unique find documented in context may have greater value. A tad heavy handed on a subject matter akin to snowflakes, but a discussion worth having another time.

A rose by any other name

Jasper

Cryptocrystalline quartz that has become opaque from the concentration of elements within it is called jasper. Jasper can come in quite literally every color visible to the human eye and a few that aren’t. The most common and striking varieties are red yellow orange and green. Jasper has been found in massive nodules the size of a commercial truck. These are incredibly rare though. Most nodules found in situ are the size of a dorm fridge. By the time they make it to a river, basketball to pea sized.

Carnelian

Carnelian is a stone known to man for thousands of years. Carnelian is found in colors ranging from pale yellow through brown along the red spectrum of color. The color of carnelian comes from iron oxide. The most highly sought after color is a deep nearly clear red used in Middle Eastern cultural jewelry. This color can be achieved with heating a clear chalcedony under controlled conditions due to the latent iron oxides present in all chalcedony. Most can expect to find carnelian as a part of their agate find on the beach in the banding. Solid nodules of carnelian the size of a refrigerator have been found in remote North American rivers.

Sard

Sard is a form of cryptocrystalline quartz that is a deep root beer brown color that is almost opaque. The terms sard and carnelian are sometimes interchangeably depending on the part of the world you live in. Because sard can “float” the line between jasper and agate, some examples are identified as Jaspagate. That’s an entirely different creature we will examine later in another article.

Plasma

Plasma is a relatively rare deep green type of sard. It’s commonly dismissed as something else, anything else, because it’s so rare. Examples often sit in stone piles for years before a chance identification.

Bloodstone

Bloodstone, also known as Heliotrope is an opaque green form of plasma with blood red or orange drop like spots. These spots resembled drops of dried blood to those who discovered it. Early civilizations believed the stones marked the sites of battles so fierce the stones were stained for all time with the blood of warriors. The staining actually comes from a concentration of iron oxide in that part of the stone. Kind of like a lumpy gravy if it helps provide formation context.

Prase

Prase is a yellowish green form of chalcedony. Prase used to be a term to describe a single type of stone from a set location. As other examples were found and chemical analysis removed any doubts rational minds held, the term came to mean any nearly transparent pale green chalcedony. Prase is rare in gem clear quality. When prase is found in gem quality, It can also be found with Amethyst in a striking gem.

Onyx

We all know the groovy stone that carried rock hounds through the seventies. Onyx primarily refers to the parallel banded variety of the silicate mineral chalcedony. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the form of the bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has parallel bands. The colors of its bands range from black to almost every color.

Sardonyx

Sardonyx is a banded blend of onyx and sard. Sardonyx is a great example of never proclaiming something as the “new normal” or “the way it always is”. Nature will usually find a way of exposing those voices as poseurs as in every other scientific pursuit. Like it’s forming ingredients, sardonyx can comes in a spectacular array of colors. Rock hounds are still finding new colors. Sardonyx should never be confused with Blue John as it is a fluorite based stone.

Chert

Chert is the dull white or grey form of chalcedony. We all recognize chert from arrow heads and spear points displayed in museums. It was the 440 cutlery grade steel for it’s time. First nations people have kept this skill called knapping alive through interpretive education. Through this education, many striking examples have been made with other forms of cryptocrystalline quartz.

There’s a name for what you’ve got…

If you’ve made it to the end of this article and haven’t lapsed into a boredom coma, you might be a Rock Hound. There is no cure for this condition. The only known therapy is to feed the psychological craving for knowledge and joy of discovery. Side effects of this treatment include improved cardiovascular function, weight loss, and occasionally improved cognitive skills. Long term sufferers become Lapidaries, Gemologists, and Artists to manage their conditions.

https://www.gemsociety.org/article/quartz-jewelry-and-gemstone-information/