Gemstone encyclopedia
Smoky Quartz — meaning, history and vintage jewelry
Smoky quartz is the brown to nearly black variety of quartz, colored by natural irradiation of aluminium bearing crystals. At 7 on the Mohs scale it is a practical everyday stone. In Britain it is inseparable from Scottish jewelry, where it is called cairngorm, and it also underpins much of the large scale brown stone jewelry of the mid twentieth century.
What smoky quartz is
Because large clean rough is common, smoky quartz gets cut into big, confident stones. Long emerald cuts, checkerboard tables and deep round cuts all suit it.
Some pale material is irradiated to deepen the color, which is stable. Very dark, opaque brown stones are usually natural.
Color and hardness
- Species
- Quartz
- Color
- Pale brown through warm cognac to almost black
- Mohs hardness
- 7
- What that means in wear
- Durable, easy to live with, and easy to have repolished if it ever dulls.
How to care for smoky quartz
- Warm soapy water and a soft brush.
- Avoid prolonged sunlight and strong heat, which can pale irradiated color.
- Skip steam cleaning.
Our full house rules, including what the one year warranty does and does not cover, are in the care & warranty guide.
History and symbolism
Scottish pebble and cairngorm jewelry made smoky quartz a Victorian staple, mounted in silver alongside agates and citrine. It returned in the 1960s and 1970s in modernist gold.
Grounding and steadiness in modern usage; in Victorian Scotland it stood mainly for place and identity.
Smoky Quartz in vintage and antique jewelry
Victorian Scottish pebble brooches, kilt pins and plaid brooches; Retro and mid century gold cocktail rings; 1970s modernist pendants with large faceted stones.
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Smoky Quartz pieces in our collection
Every curated vintage, antique and estate piece is one of a kind and checked by our jewelry specialists in the Netherlands. If nothing is right today, we will look for it.
Frequently asked questions
- Is smoky quartz the same as cairngorm?
- Cairngorm is the Scottish name for smoky to yellow quartz used in nineteenth century Scottish jewelry. It is the same mineral.
- Is smoky quartz treated?
- Some pale material is irradiated to deepen the brown. The color is stable, and deep natural stones are also common.
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