SiO₂
Tourmalinated quartz
Black schorl needles in quartz, not the golden rutile of Venus hair.
- Formula
- SiO₂
- Mohs hardness
- 7
- Crystal system
- trigonal
- Colour
- white, black
- Element
- earth
- Chakra (tradition)
- root
- Zodiac
- Libra, Scorpio
- Month
- —
- Where the earth keeps it
- Brazil, Madagascar
What it actually is
Tourmalinated quartz is SiO₂ before it is a story. The lattice is trigonal, Mohs 7, and the eye meets white, black.
The better pieces still come out of the ground in Brazil, Madagascar. Black schorl needles in quartz, not the golden rutile of Venus hair.
What the old tradition whispers
The parlour tradition ties Tourmalinated quartz to earth and to the root centre. The old site stood it near: Libra, Scorpio.
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.