Smoky Quartz

Like other quartz gems, Smoky quartz (or smokey quartz) is a silicon dioxide crystal, with a small amount of ferric oxide impurities which gives its characteristic colour. Usually brown to black, a very dark brown to black opaque variety is also known as Morion. Perhaps the best known variety used in Smoky Quartz jewellery is found in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland. Often simply called “Cairngorm”, these specimens have a smoky yellow-brown colour, though some are a grey-brown. The largest known cairngorm smoky quartz crystal weighed in at 52 lbs. Smoky Quartz jewellery typically adorns kilt pins and the handles of skean dhu (small daggers), but the gemstone also makes lovely pendants and earrings.