What is Smoky Quartz?

Smoky Quartz is a variety of quartz of brownish grey shades earning the stone the meaning of its name. It’s a silicone dioxide crystal with a transparency that ranges from completely clear to opaque. Smoky Quartz has a vitreous luster and a hexagonal crystal system. Smoky Quartz means detox and balance.

Find your Dreams

The color of midnight cloud beneath a full moon, Smoky Quartz seems to capture all the enigmatic delight of the mystical world but its true strength sits in its powerful grounding properties. Ever ready to neutralize any negativity sailing your way, Smoky Quartz is an anchor against the storm. Like a multivitamin of magic for the soul, this stone can serve as a detox, an amplifier of positive energy, and a talisman for the root chakra.

While the wispy shades of Smoky Quartz can be found scattered across the globe, most notably in Brazil – this gem is actually considered to be the national stone of Scotland. Smoky Quartz has a long history with the Celts who are said to have first mined this piece of magic in the wild Cairngorm Mountains that stretch like a dragon back across the heather and gorse colored highlands. The Celts fell hard for the silver bright stone that they called Morion. They would even work the gem into their daily dress – creating Smoky Quartz pins for their kilts and brooches to bear on their chest. It’s not just the Celts that fell for the cut of Smoky Quartz, it was also adopted and celebrated by Maori tribes in New Zealand and nicknamed the Stone of the Loin (Piedra de Hijada) over in Spain.

One glance at Smoky Quartz and you understand how it earned its name. The silver smoke-like color is caused by natural irradiation of this particular variety of quartz silicon dioxide. Its fierce grounding properties come from the fact it is made up of all the earths richest gifts – mud and clay and soil and ash all come together to mingle in the facets of Smoky Quartz. Just like potting a seed in the richest compost, with Smoky Quartz close by you can expect your roots to thrive. If you want to know more about the glorious healing properties of Smoky Quartz keep reading.

If Smoky Quartz doesn’t resonate with your soul, take a look at our Essential Guide to Gemstones and find a crystal that cuts it for you.

Different Varieties of Smoky Quartz

There are several shades and styles of Smoky Quartz but all share one thing in common – they are all a derivative born from the purity and power of Clear Quartz. Still, the marriage of Smoky Quartz and other styles of precious healing crystals means that you can pick the Smoky Quartz meaning that matches your mood.

Smoky Citrine Quartz 

The meeting of Smoky Quartz and Citrine makes for a stone that is splashed in positivity. Ever grounding and rich in positivity, Smoky Citrine is an excellent stone for helping you to move forward in life and leave non-serving circumstances behind to seek new pastures.

Smoky Amethyst Quartz 

Smoky Amethyst is a match made in heaven. For those who want to keep one foot firmly on the ground and their mind climbing to find higher perspectives, this is the quartz crystal you need. Use Smoky Amethyst to shake off old attachments and finetune your spiritual chakras while keeping your lower ones as strong as ever.

Brandberg Smoky Quartz 

The holy trinity of amethyst, smoky, and clear quartz come together to create the brilliant Brandberg Smoky Quartz. Said to attune to pure consciousness and put you in alignment with the divine being, this is one of the most ethereal and spiritual styles of Smoky Quartz.

Cairngorm 

From the highlands of ancient Scotland, the Cairngorm style of Smoky Quartz is all about bringing a golden slant of sunlight to stormy skies. For those who crave a feeling of safety when tiptoeing through dark times or exploring the shadowy side of their soul, the Cairngorm quartz will keep you warm of heart.

Morion 

This rare and very dark version of Smoky Quartz is an amazing detoxifier and ever ready to help your heart and mind heal from trauma. It’s also great at bringing a boost of motivation and positivity, ensuring you are committed and capable of the task at hand.

Healing Properties of Smoky Quartz

Smoky Quartz comes with a long list of healing properties that entwine the body, mind, and soul. One of its biggest strengths is the fact that it’s a glorious grounding stone, ever ready to keep you connected to the here and now without falling down the slippery slope of overwhelm. Smoky Quartz is like a great big deep breath. It nurtures and neutralizes and makes you feel safe and sure no matter what.

Physical Healing Properties

As one of the worlds great absorbers, Smoky Quartz is a great tool to have close by to soak up all that EMF smog. If you are someone who is sensitive to the effects of electromagnetic smog, then fear not – your Smoky Quartz crystal is here to mop it all up and leave you protected and clear from tip to toe. It also works by blocking geopathic stress. Smoky Quartz is a long deep tonic for your nerves, it settles flittering thoughts that lead to anxiety and instead invites you to sit in calm contemplation and without fear. We all know that fear and anxiety has a direct impact on the body, and Smoky Quartz ensures that those tension headaches are no more and that your sleep is soft and rich and gives your physical cells time to heal. As mentioned, Smoky Quartz is also a great stone for those undergoing a detox. It helps the body to absorb what it needs and works in harmony to flush out whatever isn’t serving you.

Mental & Emotional Healing Properties

For those who feel like they are constantly living life under a storm cloud, Smoky Quartz is here to stop your good vibes getting drowned out. It turns those desperate downpours into cleansing rains and invites the light of the moon to infuse your being with bright energy and intuitive knowledge that you are safe and sound. By clearing out those old patterns and feelings of toxicity, Smoky Quartz does a deep clean on your healing and makes sure that positive frequencies have space to hum and thrive. It’s a glorious stone for personal growth as it wants you to thrive. Smoky Quartz can be a special tool for overcoming fears that keep you in place and for encouraging you to ditch situations that aren’t serving your higher purpose. If you have been feeling displaced in the world, Smoky Quartz can be a great healing device for getting you to reconnect to the physical and the spiritual places you inhabit.

Metaphysical Properties

As a great stone for clearing out blockages, it’s no surprise to hear that Smoky Quartz is rich with metaphysical magic. While ultimately a grounding stone that works in complete harmony to encourage a healthy root chakra, the different varieties of Smoky Quartz can also help unfold your other chakras too depending on which kind you choose. All versions of Smoky Quartz are definitely good news for your root chakra, working to keep you protected, grounded, and poised for receiving a glut of positive vibrations. Its energy can also creep up to the solar plexus chakra, the place of transformation, personal power, and all that wild and wonderful warrior energy. Say farewell to negative energy when you welcome Smoky Quartz into your world to get your base chakras back in balance. 

Zodiac Birthstone

Smoky Quartz is an amazing match for all those born under the zodiac signs of Scorpio, Sagittarius, and Capricorn. The birth sign of Scorpio comes when the days are starting to draw in closer and when the veil between worlds seems at its thinnest. Perfectly suited, Scorpios are often considered to be one of the more dark and mysterious star signs. Smoky Quartz helps by bringing its cleansing energy to chase out the darker side of negativity. It carries Scorpios forward from the shadow into the light and gives them the grounding energy they need to face the day.

If you are intrigued to see which crystal is best suited to your star sign, take a look at our guide to finding the right gemstone for your astrological sign. 

How to Use This Crystal

Check out our smoky quartz energy bracelet

From gorgeous moody gemstone jewelry to Feng Shui stones to adorn your home or even palm stones and worry stones to slip inside your pocket, there are many ways to welcome the healing energy of Smoky Quartz into your world. Smoky Quartz is certainly a stone that you want around on a daily basis, the feeling of being nurtured and protected from negative energy helps to keep the mind clear and focused. A great way of using your Smoky Quartz is by pointing it down towards the ground and focusing on channeling any negative energy through it. Take a look at the best ways to welcome Smoky Quartz into your home and heart.

Home & Office 

When it comes to Feng Shui energy you cannot go wrong with the protective properties of Smoky Quartz clusters. It’s a great stone to place in the office space for those who want to bring in a little EMF protection when typing away. Yet even kicking out the negative effects of EMF, Smoky Quartz can also bring uplifting energy and balance back to space. Another great place to put your Smoky Quartz is close to the front door so it immediately absorbs any bad juju that wants to enter. You can also place Smoky Quartz points and clusters in areas of communication (like shared spaces) to bring a grounded sense of emotion to connections.

Jewelry

One of the best ways to celebrate all the potent healing properties of Smoky Quartz is to wear it in jewelry form so that it can be close to you every single day. There are huge benefits to be had from having Smoky Quartz pressed directly against your skin – it transmutes all that healing energy right where it is needed without any barriers in place. Smoky Quartz bracelets are great as they sit close to the pulse, ensuring the wearer’s energy is beautifully attuned to the soft and sublime frequencies put forth by the Smoky Quartz healing crystal.

If you are looking for gems and crystal clusters that make a magic match for the powerful stone of Smoky Quartz you can turn to Jade jewelry or even Topaz to bring even more healing and a smattering of glorious good luck. Agate is another stone that pairs well with Smoky Quartz, as is the gentle heart energy of Rose Quartz. If you want to layer up on protection then Black Tourmaline is a dream as is Hematite and Obsidian. For a dose of spiritual soundness – Kyanite or Lapis Lazuli will come in handy. To enhance those mystical properties and the feeling of fall nights, the luminous Moonstone will also bring light.

How to Cleanse your Gemstone

Like all stones, it's important to keep your Smoky Quartz clean and charged and brimming with energy so it can work its magic. As mentioned, Smoky Quartz is amazing at soaking up negative energy which means that it’s even more important to keep it clean so that it doesn’t get clogged or burnt out. Just once every few weeks can be enough unless you have been feeling more negative vibes than normal. You can clean your Smoky Quartz by using water and a smidge of soap – just make sure you rinse thoroughly and pat it dry. Smoky Quartz isn’t to be left in direct sunlight or soaked for long periods of time, if you want to charge it up you can leave it in the company of Clear Quartz or smudge it with sage.

Geological Properties

Final Thoughts on Smoky Quartz

Smoky Quartz is such a good stone for those who are tired of being weighed down by negative energy and negative emotions. If you are an empath who struggles with boundaries or if you just feel like you need a small kick to get you started on a different path, natural Smoky Quartz could be the stone that guides you there. As an everyday stone it also works thanks to its persuasive powers of protection.

What are your thoughts on Smoky Quartz? Share with us in the comments.