Is this a rock or is it glass? It was found in a take one leave one Geocache, so not much else is known about where it came from or where it originated from.
As you can see, it’s mostly clear but also has blue coloration around the “cracks” and a few slight rainbow refraction areas.
Do you know what it is?
What Is It?
The stone is called “Crackle Quartz”. The clear quartz itself is naturally occurring, but the cracks that you see in the stone are man made. These stones are almost always found dyed different colors. This one appears to possibly show natural coloration, however, it could have undergone a dye treatment that resulted in the light blue color along the crack lines.
How They Make Crackle Quartz
Crackle Quartz is a variety of quartz that has been subjected to a heat treatment process to create a network of fractures inside the crystal, resulting in its distinctive crackled appearance.
The gemstone is often used in jewelry and decoration, valued for its unique beauty and the way it catches light. The creation of Crackle Quartz involves a combination of high heat and sudden cooling, which produces the crackled internal structure.
To manufacture Crackle Quartz, clear or colored pieces of quartz are first heated to a high temperature which causes the stone to expand.
Once the quartz reaches the desired temperature, it’ i’s then rapidly cooled, usually by immersion in cold water. This abrupt temperature change causes the stone to contract quickly, creating numerous small fractures throughout the crystal.
