Gold is yellow, yet the gold on aqua aura quartz turns it sky blue. The metal is laid on so thin that light passes through it, and a film of gold that fine glows blue-green, the way gold leaf does when you hold it up to a window.
The aura quartz meaning is joy and lightness: a bright, playful crystal for lifting the mood of a room and of the person holding it. Every aura crystal starts as natural quartz or amethyst with a film of metal added in a lab, and the last section explains why that yellow metal comes out blue.
Aura quartz quick facts
- Chakra: Third eye, crown
- Zodiac: Aquarius
- Element: Water
- Color: Depends on the metal: blue, pearly white, rainbow, purple, gold or pink over clear quartz or amethyst
- Hardness: The quartz is 7 on the Mohs scale, but the metal film can scratch
- Made: From natural quartz or amethyst, coated with metal in a lab
- Pairs with: clear quartz, amethyst, selenite
Joy, imagination and a fresh outlook
Aura quartz is a modern crystal, made since the late 20th century, and its meanings grew up around its color.
Joy. Few crystals look this cheerful. People keep a cluster on a desk or windowsill as a small, bright reminder to lighten up on a heavy day.
Imagination. Its shifting shimmer is linked to creativity and new ideas, and it's often chosen by artists, writers and anyone starting a project.
Clarity. Underneath the color is natural quartz, linked to a clear head, so many people see it as clarity with a little extra sparkle.
Crown, third eye and the sign of the new
Aura quartz is placed on the crown and third eye, following the violet and white light of its most popular kinds, and it's held in meditation when people want a lighter, brighter mood. Its sign is Aquarius, the sign of invention and the future, a natural match for a crystal born in a lab. Its element is water.
Angel aura quartz
Angel aura, also sold as opal aura or pearl aura, is the soft, pearly kind: mostly white with pastel flashes of pink, blue and gold, usually made with platinum and silver. Its meaning leans gentle: peace, comfort and a light, calm mood. Our angel aura quartz cluster is a group of small coated points that catches the light from every side, and it's part of our crown chakra crystals.
Titanium aura quartz
Titanium aura, also sold as flame or rainbow aura, is the boldest kind: deep metallic blues, purples, golds and magentas, made with titanium, sometimes with niobium. It's linked to energy, confidence and transformation. Our titanium aura quartz cluster shows the full spread of color.
Purple, amethyst and other auras
Other metals and starting stones give other looks. Aqua aura, made with gold, is the sky blue in the photo above. Coating amethyst instead of clear quartz gives amethyst aura, where the stone's own purple shows through the shimmer, as in our amethyst aura cluster. Our purple aura quartz cluster wears a deep violet finish.
A color for the day. Set your aura cluster in a sunny spot in the morning and notice which color catches your eye first. Let that be the mood you carry: blue for calm, gold for confidence, pink for kindness, violet for imagination.
Three plain stones that set off the shimmer
Clear quartz is aura quartz before its coat of color, and the two together show the stone both ways. Read about it in our clear quartz guide. Amethyst shares the third eye and crown, a calm partner for a bright stone, as our amethyst guide explains. Selenite is a gentle way to cleanse aura quartz without water or salt, as our selenite guide describes.
Protecting the color
The quartz underneath is tough, but the metal film is only on the surface, and it can scratch or rub thin. Dust it with a soft, dry cloth or brush, and keep it away from harder stones, salt, soap and household cleaners. A quick rinse in plain water is fine, but skip scrubbing and long soaks. Clusters do best displayed rather than carried in a pocket.
Many people cleanse aura quartz with moonlight or a pass through sage smoke, both gentle on the coating. Quick care facts for every stone we carry are in our crystal care chart. Every crystal in our shop is smudged with sage and charged in the moonlight before it ships.
Aura quartz FAQ
Is aura quartz natural?
The quartz is natural. The color is added: a thin layer of metal bonded to it in a lab.
Is aura quartz real?
Yes. It's real quartz with a real metal coating, not glass or plastic.
How can you tell aura quartz is coated and not dyed?
Look closely at the tips and edges. A coated crystal often shows tiny clear or white spots where the film didn't take or has rubbed off, and its color shifts as you turn it, while dyed or painted stones look flat.
Is angel aura quartz the same as titanium aura?
No. Both are coated quartz, but angel aura is soft and pearly, usually from platinum and silver, while titanium aura is bold and metallic.
Can aura quartz go in water?
A quick rinse in plain water is fine. Avoid soap, salt and scrubbing, which can wear the coating.
Will the color fade?
The color itself won't fade in light, but the coating can wear away where it's rubbed or scratched.
See also: how to tell real crystals from man-made ones.
Why gold turns quartz blue
Aura quartz starts as ordinary clear quartz or amethyst, usually small natural points or clusters. In a sealed chamber, the air is pumped out and the crystals are heated to around 870 °C. Metal is turned to vapor, and its atoms settle onto the hot quartz in a layer less than a thousandth of a millimeter thick, bonding to the surface.
Most of the color comes from the film itself, not from paint or dye. Light reflects from both the top and bottom of that very thin layer, and the two reflections strengthen some colors and cancel others, the effect that colors an oil slick. Gold adds a twist of its own: spread thin enough, the yellow metal lets mostly blue-green light through, which is part of why aqua aura comes out sky blue. Change the metal or the film's thickness and the colors change too.
Each piece we sell is one of a kind, and the one pictured is the one you'll receive.
