Judging quality
The druzy coating must be a genuine crystal overgrowth covering the prism while leaving the main termination clear. Color runs pale lilac to deep grape; bright orange examples are usually heat-treated.
Quartz
Spirit Quartz
Amethyst or citrine points entirely encrusted with a coat of tiny second-generation crystals, so the wand bristles like frost. Found in commercial quantity in one district of South Africa.
Care
The fine crystals snap easily. Handle by the base and dust with a soft brush.
History & lore
Locally called cactus quartz, and mined largely by small operators around Boekenhouthoek since the mid-1990s.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Spirit Quartz
- What is Spirit Quartz?
- Amethyst or citrine points entirely encrusted with a coat of tiny second-generation crystals, so the wand bristles like frost. Found in commercial quantity in one district of South Africa.
- How hard is Spirit Quartz and what is it made of?
- Spirit Quartz is a Quartz-family mineral with the composition SiO2. It crystallizes in the trigonal system and rates 7 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in lavender, violet, white, peach.
- Where does Spirit Quartz come from?
- Notable localities for Spirit Quartz include Boekenhouthoek, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
- How do you tell good Spirit Quartz from filler?
- The druzy coating must be a genuine crystal overgrowth covering the prism while leaving the main termination clear. Color runs pale lilac to deep grape; bright orange examples are usually heat-treated.
- How do you care for Spirit Quartz?
- The fine crystals snap easily. Handle by the base and dust with a soft brush.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.