SiO₂
Rutilated quartz
Golden, red or black needles of rutile sit inside quartz of hardness 7, the old Venus hair.
- Formula
- SiO₂
- Mohs hardness
- 7
- Crystal system
- trigonal
- Colour
- yellow, white
- Element
- fire
- Chakra (tradition)
- solar plexus
- Zodiac
- Gemini, Leo, Taurus
- Month
- —
- Where the earth keeps it
- Brazil, Madagascar
What it actually is
Rutilated quartz is SiO₂ before it is a story. The lattice is trigonal, Mohs 7, and the eye meets yellow, white.
The better pieces still come out of the ground in Brazil, Madagascar. Golden, red or black needles of rutile sit inside quartz of hardness 7, the old Venus hair.
What the old tradition whispers
The parlour tradition ties Rutilated quartz to fire and to the solar plexus centre. The old site stood it near: Gemini, Leo, Taurus.
How not to turn it to ash
Quartz will take lukewarm water and a cloth. Long sun fades amethyst and rose quartz. Perfume is a worse neighbour than dust.