Quartz is the second most abundant mineral on Earth; consisting of silicon dioxide. The abundance of this mineral has lead to it being used in decorative items around the world. The more colorful varieties often held an elevated state in the areas they are found, such as the abundance of Tiger Eye in South Africa, where you can find a church with an entire façade adorned with slabs of this quartz/asbestos mixture. Or, the famed agate deposits of Idar-Oberstein, which lead to centuries of fine lapidary work found all over Europe. In time, the deposits of massive colorful agates in Brazil shifted the mass production to Rio Do Sul, where hundreds of warehouses store and work stockpiles of massive amethyst geodes and banded agates. Different regions of the world produce agates that can look nearly identical to agates found halfway around the world, yet locations can also produce agates that look completely unique to their deposit.
In the simplest form, crystals of quartz are very attractive as display items. Large crystals are common, making bold decorator specimens. Small crystals are even more common, showing up for sale and trade at all corners of the world. It is not hard for a rockhound to see why our early ancestors would have felt a strong reaction to pick them up, as finding a quartz crystal among the native rocks due to the sparkle on the ground where they lay, is something few can resist.
Over the past century, colored quartz crystals have become a popular collecting item among mineral collectors and the general public. From the classic Amethyst geodes of Brazil to the green quartz crystals of Greece and Russia and the red quartz crystals of China, South Africa and Thunder BayCanada, the addition of color to quartz crystals is a bonus to most collectors.
The different habits and forms of quartz make them very popular in the crystal healing circles. Assigning different metaphysical uses to each color and shape, the common quartz crystal has been a steadfast friend of the new age stone market.