Our most beautiful rock crystal grouping (38.9 kg 74x30 cm) from 47 years of doing business with the U.S.A.

Rock crystal is the colorless and most common variety 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 given by the gods in the form of ice. Rock crystal was already known during the Mesolithic period. During Roman times, it was brought onto the market from the Alps under the name "petrified ice". Theofratus called it "krystallos". Pliny the Elder also mentions it. The name 'quartz' was introduced in 1529 by Georgius Agricola. The peoples of the East considered rock crystal to be the stone of patience and perfection. Tibetans use rock crystal to treat wounds. The choice of rock crystal as a drinking glass or as part of medieval 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 Rudolfin imperial crown and the chain of the Jehovah's Order. Origin: Megnathites, pegmatites, hydrothermal and alpine stone veins, alluvial deposits. Occurrence: Rock crystal is widespread in nature, but not always in gemstone quality. Historically known sites are India and Sri Lanka (the Tatnaputi area). Iridescent quartz from the Poona area in India and from Myanmar is a rarity. Beautiful crystals come from Kenya and Madagascar, also from Brazil (Minas Gerais), Goias, 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), 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 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 comes from Burma and was cut in China.