Our first pick
JewelryPalace natural smoky quartz pendant, 8.5 ct oval, 925 sterling silver
about $38
A big, cleanly cut smoky quartz for little money.
See it on AmazonQuartz · SiO₂ · 7
Smoky quartz
Smoky quartz is brown to black quartz. Its colour comes from natural radiation in the rock acting on traces of aluminium in the crystal over millions of years; the near-black kind is called morion. It forms beautiful crystals in granite pegmatites and Alpine clefts, and faceted smoky quartz makes large, affordable brown gems. A lot of smoky quartz on the market is clear quartz irradiated in a lab to the same colour, which is permanent but should be disclosed.
From the ground to your hand
The same stone at four moments. Tap a photo of a listing to see it on Amazon.
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01 In the ground (step 1 of 4)
Morion, black smoky quartz, on potassium feldspar. Terra Mineralia collection, Freiberg, Germany.
Real specimen. Photo: Dguendel, CC BY 4.0.
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02 Rough (step 2 of 4)
Half a pound of rough smoky quartz, as sold for tumbling and cutting.
Amazon listing photo. See it on Amazon
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03 Cut (step 3 of 4)
A 5.7 ct oval smoky quartz, faceted to show its warm brown.
Amazon listing photo. See it on Amazon
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04 Set (step 4 of 4)
An 8.5 ct natural smoky quartz pendant in 925 sterling silver.
Amazon listing photo. See it on Amazon
- Mineral
- Quartz (silicon dioxide)
- Colour from
- Natural irradiation of aluminium traces
- Hardness
- 7, fine for daily wear
- Grown in labs?
- Rarely; much is clear quartz irradiated to brown
- Main sources
- Brazil, the Swiss Alps, Colorado (Pikes Peak), Madagascar, Ukraine and Scotland
Smoky quartz: natural, irradiated and imitations
| Natural smoky quartz | Irradiated quartz | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Quartz darkened by radiation in the earth | Clear quartz irradiated in a lab to brown or black |
| Colour | Light tan to near black, often zoned | Often very dark and even |
| Sign | Natural crystals with a matrix or named locality | Uniform black points or tumbled stones sold cheaply in bulk |
| Price | Low; fine crystal groups cost more | Very low |
Natural smoky quartz is often lighter or zoned and comes with a locality or on its matrix. Very dark, perfectly even black points sold cheaply in bulk are often irradiated clear quartz. Both are real quartz; the difference is whether the colour came from the earth or a lab. Heat removes smoky colour, so do not leave it in hot places.
Treatments. Much smoky quartz is clear quartz exposed to radiation in a lab, which gives a permanent brown to black colour and is not dangerous to wear. Heating can lighten or remove the colour, and heated smoky quartz is sometimes sold as citrine. Clean with warm soapy water. All gem treatments explained.
Where natural smoky quartz comes from
Pins mark mining districts, not exact mines. Drag to move, pinch or scroll to zoom, tap a pin to read about it. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
List of every place on the map (5)
- Smoky quartz: Pikes Peak, Colorado, USA. Smoky quartz with amazonite in pegmatite pockets in the Pikes Peak granite.
- Smoky quartz: Swiss Alps (Grimsel, Göscheneralp), Switzerland. Alpine clefts that produce classic dark smoky quartz crystals.
- Smoky quartz: Cairngorm Mountains, United Kingdom. Scottish smoky quartz, the cairngorm of traditional Scottish jewellery.
- Smoky quartz: Volyn, Ukraine. Pegmatites with huge smoky quartz and morion crystals. Position approximate.
- Smoky quartz: Minas Gerais, Brazil. Much of the smoky quartz cut for jewellery.
How it is cut
Lab smoky quartz is mostly machine-cut in calibrated sizes, which is why a cut lab stone costs little more than its rough. Fine mined stones are often native-cut to keep weight, then recut by precision cutters. See cuts from easiest to hardest and whether cutting your own is cheaper than buying cut.
What to buy
Checked in stock on October 10, 2026. Photos are the listings' own; prices are rounded.
Also good
JewelryPalace smoky quartz cocktail ring, 5.7 ct oval
about $32
Quartz is hard enough for a ring, and this shows the colour well.
See it on Amazon
Also good
KALIFANO smoky quartz points bundle, 250+ carats
about $20
A handful of points to see the range of brown, from light tan to near black.
See it on AmazonYour kit for smoky quartz
Five tools that let you check what you bought (a loupe, a UV torch, locking tweezers, a gem box and a pocket scale), plus a turntable that spins your stone under the light the way jewellers show one. The full collector's kit.
LookGemOro 10x triplet loupeunder $20
LookDARKBEAM filtered 365 nm UV flashlightabout $10
HandleHonoson locking tweezers, 3 packabout $10
StoreTeensery gem display boxes with clear lids, 10 packabout $9
ShowComXim motorized turntable, adjustable speed and directionabout $15
MeasureGemOro Platinum XP500 pocket scale, 0.01 gabout $40In short
Smoky quartz grows over millions of years in the earth, or in hours to months in a lab. Both are real smoky quartz; the mined stone is rare and priced for rarity, the lab stone is priced for the cost of growing it. Buy lab to wear and enjoy, check the listing names the mineral, and test it when it arrives.
See our first pick: JewelryPalace natural smoky quartz pendant, 8.5 ct oval, 925 sterling silverFrequently Asked Questions
Is smoky quartz natural?
Smoky quartz occurs naturally, darkened by radiation in the rock over millions of years. But much of what is sold is clear quartz irradiated in a lab to the same colour. Both are real quartz.
Is irradiated smoky quartz radioactive?
No. The irradiation changes how the crystal absorbs light; it does not leave the stone radioactive. It is safe to wear.
What is a cairngorm?
Smoky quartz from the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland, long set in Scottish jewellery such as brooches, kilt pins and the sgian-dubh.
Photo credits
- smoky-quartz-crystal.webp: Dguendel, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- smoky-quartz-amazonite.webp: Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- Product photos: Amazon listings, via the Amazon Product Advertising (Creators) API.
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