The mighty Rhine River is famous for legends, mystic secrets and hidden treasure. Flowing from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea, the Rhine has provided nourishment, work, trade, transportation and entertainment for thousands of years. The river's also a source of small clear rock crystals known as Rhine stones.
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Crystal comes from the Greek word κρύσταλλος, meaning 'ice'. Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder considered clear quartz to be water permanently frozen over a long time. He pointed out quartz is sometimes found near glaciers in the Alps, but not on volcanic mountains, claiming it formed spheres to cool the hands. The concept continued into the 17th century.
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The word quartz comes from the German Quarz. Carved into brilliant objects such as vases and urns, rock crystal entranced crafts people and collectors with its clarity, smooth surfaces, medium hardness and prismatic light. As clear as water and ice, rock crystal can even contain rainbows within, due to reflected light from cracks or fractures.
Most rock crystal in large amounts comes from Russia, the US, Madagascar and Brazil. During the Renaissance Milan, Prague and Florence were the main centers for crystal cutting.
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Rhinestones were known in 13th century Austria, when small clear stones of quartz were gathered from the shores of the Rhine. Rock crystal rhinestones were used in jewelry and accessories. Cut in the style of diamonds they sparkle with warm light. Jewelers could coat the back with silver or various metals to boost luster and color.
Besides clear, quartz manifests in a myriad of beautiful colors such as purple (amethyst), yellow (citrine), aqua (beryl) and pink (rose quartz). It's the second most abundant stone on Earth and can vary from clear to translucent to opaque, as in agate.
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Coloration in quartz happens due to variations in the stone and because it absorbs only certain wavelengths of light. The color we see comes from those wavelengths left behind. If the crystal absorbs red and blue we get a yellow gem.
If it absorbs yellow, we have the combination of blue and red to make purple as in amethyst. Amethyst is a desirable gem since Roman times, when it had the theoretical power to stave off drunkenness.
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If red light waves are absorbed, the resulting color is aquamarine, like the ocean or clear mountain streams. Clear quartz absorbs no wavelengths and reflects all colors. It's famous for creating the marvelous prismatic or rainbow effect, also seen in the spray of waterfalls and fountains.
How to tell if your quartz is real? Clear rock crystal quartz has a Mohs hardness scale level of 7. Scratched on glass, which has a hardness of 5.5, the crystal should leave a white mark or streak.
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Quartz has various spiritual qualities and is considered the most powerful crystal in gem lore. Some mystical meanings and uses include:
acts a clarifying stone to clear the mind
repels or filters out negative or unwanted energies
receives and reflects light
acts as a receptacle for universal energies
attracts good luck
unblocks and amplifies creative energy
balances the crown chakra, aka bridge to the cosmos
cleanses chakra system
in the center or soul of the home, brings magical protection
amplifies healing energy especially for depression, chronic fatigue, arthritis and bone injuries; fibromyalgia; digestive system
stimulates harmonious integration of opposites
helps stabilize romantic relationships
Clear quartz has another mystical property, the pyroelectric effect. Two pieces of quartz rubbed together in a dark room produce a light glimmer or flash. The pyroelectric effect happens due to a heat change in stones which have undergone considerable pressure.
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Friction such as rubbing causes the crystals to heat up, release the charge and make a flash. Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus and German scientist Franz Aepinus studied the effect in the mid-1700s. The first demonstration came in the 1880s by the French physicists Jacques and Pierre Curie.
The brothers used tourmaline, topaz, quartz, cane sugar and Rochelle salt (potassium sodium tartrate) to test the effect. Quartz and Rochelle salt showed the greatest amount of pyroelectricity. Rochelle salt is a man-made double salt first created in 1675 by apothecary Pierre Seignette in La Rochelle, France.
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Because of the pyroelectric effect quartz came to be used in clocks and watches to create a precise electrical signal. Intended for use in radios, the crystal came into demand as a timepiece regulator when scientists found it more accurate than a pendulum.
Faux Rhinestones, Leaded Glass and Austrian Crystal
Faux rhinestones hit the market in the 18th century. As natural Rhinestone sources dwindled, Alsatian jeweler Georg Friedrich Strass (1701-1773) developed imitation diamonds by coating the lower side of lead glass with metal powder. These are the rhinestones sold today.
The term crystal is also used for leaded glassware or beads. Leaded glass crystal is light and more resilient when heated to a liquid, so can be made thinner than regular glass. It has a musical ting when tapped. When a wet fingertip is run around the rim, the glass sings a soprano chime. Food or drink shouldn't be stored long in leaded glass vessels due to lead leakage.
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Although clear quartz is found in the Alps, Austrian crystal is man-made treated glass. The technique has been refined and modified with precision so Austrian crystal becomes one of the most alluring and magical of creations. It's popular as ornaments and jewelry.
Today's rhinestones are metal-backed glass or synthetic stone available in countless hues. Heat can create changes in color. Light refraction of multiple wavelengths and facet reflections add sparkle and gleam to draw the eye, and a magical sheen for mystique.
But if you happen to be on the shores of the Rhine, especially up the alpine way, take a look around. A real rhinestone might be winking in the sunshine - a rare and lucky souvenir.
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