Six raw quartz crystals from the Himalayan region. They are unworked, neither polished nor drilled, and keep their natural shape. Origin: India.
The Greeks thought it was ice
The word crystal comes from the Greek krystallos, meaning ice. In his Natural History, Pliny the Elder wrote that crystal was ice frozen so hard that it would never melt again. Today we call clear, transparent quartz rock crystal.
Collectors prize Himalayan quartz for its clarity. On the intact crystals you can see the six-sided prism typical of quartz, ending in a point.
Six crystals, six shapes
The six pieces vary in shape, size and transparency. No two sets are alike, so yours will not match the photo exactly. If you collect rocks, they make a good start for a quartz drawer. They are worth looking at with children too, as quartz is hard enough to scratch glass. As a present for a beginner they make sense, since quartz is one of the most common minerals in the earth's crust. With six pieces, one can go on the windowsill, one on the desk and one on the bedside table.
Quartz is also used in spiritual practice. If you meditate, you can hold one of the crystals in your palm while you sit.
Safe to rinse with water
Water does not harm quartz. If the crystals get dusty, rinse them in lukewarm water and let them dry. Points and edges can chip if knocked, so do not let them tumble against each other in a box. Sunlight does them no harm, so they can stay on a windowsill.