Lodolite, also known as Garden Quartz is a beautiful crystal that has become very popular with collectors over the past few decades.
Background!
The history of Garden Quartz isn’t something that was well documented or tracked, which makes it hard to place a timeline on when this stone first made an appearance. But don’t worry! There is plenty of other interesting information. For starters, Garden Quartz has a few different names that can be used interchangeably; Garden Quartz, Lodolite, inclusion Quartz and more metaphysically, the Shamans Dream Stone.
Where is this stone found?
The primary location for Garden Quartz mining takes place in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil. Garden Quartz can also be found in areas like Madagascar, India and the United States. Each of these places will produce crystals that vary in quality, inclusions and grade. High-quality and “collector grade” specimens are most likely to come out of Brazil.
What are the inclusions within Garden Quartz?
To start, Garden quartz forms when other minerals or crystals become trapped within the quartz as it’s growing. The inclusions can form intricate patterns and designs that resemble gardens or landscapes, which is where the stone gets its name. The quartz itself is formed when silica-rich fluids are slowly deposited within cavities or fractures in rocks. Over time, the fluids solidify, and the quartz crystal grows larger.
One of the most common inclusions of Garden Quartz is Chlorite which is a green mineral. Chlorite is like a “mineral of the rainbow” since it can also show up as pink, orange, brown, yellow, grey, blue and even black. Another common inclusion is rutile (discussed in another blog) which can be seen in many colors, but commonly as gold, copper, red and silver. More common inclusions are feldspar, hematite and iron.
Another fun inclusion are phantoms. A Phantom is an inclusion in a transparent crystal that shows the outline of an earlier stage of growth. Basically, a layer of sedimentary material got trapped on a crystal, which continued growing, and enclosed the layer within the stone that it was growing on. The phantoms can be seen as a triangular shape in the crystal, just like a point.
At this point you may be saying to yourself “wow this is so great” but what about thousand layer Quartz?
Thousand layer Quartz contains the same inclusions as Garden Quartz and undergoes the same process. The only difference is the look of it and how it was taken out of the rock and polished. Thousand layer Quartz has these insane layers which are due to sedimentary deposits over time. The sediment (and layers) build up which gives it the thousand layer look. When looking at polished pieces you have to remember that the pieces you’re seeing came from something bigger and from a very specific spot.
Metaphysical Properties!
Referring back to the name, Shamans Dream Stone, this crystal will help unlock the doorway to the spiritual realm and facilitate in lucid dreaming. Along with this, mindfulness, inner peace, balance and harmony are properties that resonate with this crystal. If you’re looking to enhance communication, stimulate spiritual growth or increase your awareness to the natural world, Garden Quartz might be the stone for you.
Fun facts!
- The name Lodolite means “mud stone”
- The chemical composition for Lodolite is SiO2 and it has a hexagonal crystalline structure
- Associated with the root and crown chakra
- This is an excellent crystal to use in meditation
- Said to help plants grow