Smoky Quartz

This specimen is smoky quartz, a variety of quartz distinguished by its translucent grey to brownish coloration. The smoky colour results from natural radiation interacting with trace amounts of aluminium within the quartz crystal structure over geological time. The specimen displays a massive to granular habit rather than well-formed crystal points, which is common in quartz veins and metamorphic host rocks of the Buller Gorge region. Smoky quartz retains all the physical properties of quartz, including a vitreous lustre, conchoidal fracture, and a Mohs hardness of 7, making it relatively durable. The colour intensity can vary across the specimen, reflecting differences in radiation exposure and crystal chemistry during formation.