This week we're going to talk about Soul Mate or Twin Soul crystals. Let me start with the caveat that just as there are differing opinions on the description of a human soul mate/twin soul, there is also a lot of controversy about what constitutes a Soul Mate or Twin Soul crystal. These twinned crystals are sometimes also referred to as Tantric Twins or Twin Flames. My tendency is to keep naming as uncomplicated as possible, so I choose not to use the names Tantric Twin or Twin Flame and simplify it to just "Twin Soul" or even just "Twin".

As usual, what I am presenting here is my take on the subject of twinned crystals, you may have learned differently, or the people or books from which you learned may have assigned subtle differences and complex rules to the names, or you  simply may have a different opinion on the matter entirely for other reasons, and that is perfectly okay! What is important is the energy which these twinned crystals present and your personal relationship to the type of crystal named as such. Again, it is my desire to make learning about the Crystal People as uncomplicated as possible to make this sometimes convoluted topic less burdensome and more accessible to everyone. Back to topic, then!

This week we're going to talk about Smoky quartz.

As an aside, I grappled with the spelling of "smoky" for years (actually I still have to think about it when I write it). I always wondered, "is it 'smoky' or 'smokey'!?" (And how many times can you read and say 'smoky' before the word becomes like a non-sense word!?) Just to share what I learned, 'smoky' (without the "e") is an adjective, 'Smokey' (with the "e") is a proper noun (name) such as Smokey Bear. Growing up with a father and grandfather in the Forest Service, I read a LOT about Smokey Bear. I used the "e" variation of smoky when referring to quartz for years. You may still catch a typo or two where I left in the "e".

Welcome back to our discussion of the different quartz crystal configurations. This week I was planning to just talk about Sheet crystals, but I have decided to add in two other types of flat crystals as well. So we're going to talk about Sheet, Tabby (or Tabular) and Shard quartz crystals. They are all thin, flat crystals, but they each have a little bit different characteristic which separates them. We'll start with Tabby or Tabular crystals because they are the most uniform and also the thickest of the three.

TABBY or TABULAR QUARTZ CRYSTALS

Tabby or Tabular crystals are just as the name implies. They are thin and flat like a tablet. To "qualify" as a textbook 'perfect' Tabby, the thickness must be no more than half the width. So if a crystal is 1 inch wide, it can only be 1/2 inch thick (or less) to qualify as a Tabby. Five inches wide can only be two and a half inches thick or less. The "or less" is important, because they don't have to be exactly a 2 to 1 ratio, they just have to be at least 2 to 1 (twice as wide as it is thick). They can always be thinner than that.

This week we're going to talk about Self Healed crystals. Self-Healed crystals are crystals that have been broken from the matrix and started to re-seal their broken ends with new growth. How might this happen and what is the matrix? All crystals which aren't Double Terminated start out on a cluster (the porcupine looking masses of crystals). These clusters grow along veins. When the earth moves and shifts, individual points or sometimes clumps of points break off. The broken ends of these crystals (and also the space where they came off the cluster) will often continue to grow, or "self-heal".

A Self-Healed crystal looks like it has scales or triangular layers which vary from very teeny almost imperceptible scales to large triangular layers. Self healing can be present on the bottom, sides or even tip of a point or cluster. Self-Healed points also present as crystals that were broken in half but sort of “glued” back together with new growth. I intentionally made these pictures large because the detail in some Self Healed crystals can be hard to see. I apologize if it is taking time to download.

Record Keepers (also called Recorders) are special surface features found on some crystals. They aren't super rare but they aren't common, either. I remember when I first started learning about crystals and sorting them for the website, the crystals I had found nearly ALL had Record Keepers on them. Dozens and Dozens. I thought, man, Record Keepers must be a very common thing! So if a crystal had Record Keepers and also any other configuration such as Barnacles or Rainbows (fairly common), I would sort it in the Barnacle or Rainbow box. I soon discovered that Record Keepers AREN'T that common and I had been gifted a very rare gift, indeed, to have found so many crystals covered in Record Keepers!!

First we'll start with what Record Keepers are. They are triangular shaped features found on the faces of some crystals. Because they are surface features, you have to know how to see them. I have covered this before, but I will repeat it here. To view the surface (to keep from looking inside of the crystal), you hold your crystal with the face you are looking at parallel to a light source so that you can use the glare that the light creates in order to see what is on the surface. Here's a picture of a couple of crystals with and without glare (there aren't Record Keepers on these faces):

Continuing on with our discussion of the different named configurations in quartz crystals, Rainbows in crystals is the topic this week.

Rainbows may be present inside a crystal due to fractures or on the internal wall of two connected crystals. Some of the fractures are what I call Mirror Fractures; they look like mirrors and sometimes are called Wall crystals. I did a whole blog post on Mirror Fractures and Fairy Frost (both of which are often accompanied by Rainbows). (Click this link to revisit the blog post on Mirror Fractures and Fairy Frost. ) Following is a paraphrased portion of that blog post, describing Mirror Fractures.

Last week we talked about how Phantoms are formed in Quartz crystals . This week we are going to discuss two variations of Phantoms found in Arkansas. These are: 1. Gas Phantoms and 2. Reverse Phantoms (also called Overcoat Quartz and Snow Quartz). We'll start with Gas Phantoms.

GAS PHANTOMS

Initially, I was introduced to these beautiful crystals as "Titanium Gas Phantoms". There is a lot of controversy as to what creates them and if titanium is even involved. I choose to call them simply Gas Phantoms. The mine where they were found in Arkansas is now closed, and, as far as I know, they don't plan to re-open it.