Rock crystal gemstone

Physical properties of rock crystal

Characteristics of rock crystal

Rock crystal (Bohemian diamond, clairvoyant stone) is one of the most amazing gemstones, although it is just a colorless transparent variety of quartz.

Rock crystal has amazing properties. This mineral is hard enough, so from ancient times cups, knives, arrowheads were made from it. Also, rock crystal has a special electrical conductivity, so it is often used in electronics, in particular to create accurate quartz (here quartz is exactly rock crystal) watches. Even from rock crystal, excellent lenses are obtained (for a long time, magnifiers made of rock crystal have been used to cauterize wounds and to light the Olympic flame). And the Romans paid attention to the fact that rock crystal absorbs heat well and therefore used it to cool their hands.

The word "crystal" itself comes from the Greek "krystallos", which means "crystal", "ice" in translation.

Rock crystal has long been known to mankind and is actively used for jewelry and carvings. Of particular interest are the skulls made of solid crystals of rock crystal. Ritual and magical objects, jewelry, carvings, cups and seals, dishes, vases were also made from rock crystal.

And yet, rock crystal, despite its unique properties, is a fairly inexpensive gemstone, as it is very widespread.