Rock crystal tea light holder 10 cm, made of real crystals that are shaped into a fantastic eye-catcher.

Rock crystal is the most common and colourless variant of the mineral quartz (silicon dioxide, SiO2). The name 'rock crystal' is derived from the Greek word "Krustallos," which means ice. It was believed that rock crystal was ice shaped by the gods. Rock crystal was already known at the time of the Mesolithic. The Alps brought it onto the market during Roman times under the name "petrified ice." Theophrastus called it "krystallos." Pliny the Elder also mentions it. 'quartz' was introduced in 1529 by Georgius Agricola. The people of the East considered rock crystal a stone of patience and perfection. Tibetans use rock crystal to treat wounds. The choice of a rock crystal as a drinking glass or as part of mediaeval jewellery can be attributed to the belief that these crystals would break or discolour when they came into contact with poison. The chain thus became an amulet that protected the king. Compare the Rudolphinian imperial crown and the chain of the Jehovah's Order. Origin: Megnathites, pegmatites, hydrothermal and alpine stone veins, and alluvial deposits. Occurrence: Rock crystal is widespread in nature, but not always in gem quality. Historically known locations are India and Sri Lanka (the area around Tatnaputi). Iridescent quartz from the Poona area in India and from Myanmar is a rarity. Beautiful crystals come from Kenya and Madagascar, and also from Brazil (Minas Gerais, Goias, and Bahia) and French Guiana. In the USA, rock crystal occurs in pegmatites, including in Maine (near Ausburn), New York, North Carolina, Arkansas (Crystal Peak), and California. Of particular significance are occurrences in the Alps. Rock crystals are found in Switzerland (for example, near Urim, where a crystal weighing 135 kg was found in the area of ​​the St. Gotthard and the Grimsel) and in Austria (in 1965 a crystal weighing almost 1000 kg was found in a cavity near the Großglockner). Rock crystals are also found in Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, and France. The collections of various museums contain unique cut rock crystals. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington has a cut stone of 7000 ct and a spherical rock crystal with a diameter of 33 cm and a weight of 48.5 kg; this crystal comes from Burma and was cut in China.