Published July 2014 • Updated October 2022 • Read Time: 6 minutes
Snow Quartz is an opaque, pure white stone. It maybe referred to as a Quartz, Chalcedony or even Agate, and is sometimes called Quartzite or Milky Quartz. It is found alongside Clear Quartz and is often seen intwined with Amethyst. It is the white stripes that give Chevron Amethyst their distinctive pattern. Energetically, Snow Quartz is virtually identical to Clear Quartz and the two stones can be used interchangeably. The main difference is that Snow Quartz’s energy is a little more gentle and soft, similarly to the feeling of fluffy snowflakes. It is a fantastic crystal during difficult seasons of life, when everything seems dark and grim. Its energy is uplifting and kind.
Snow Quartz Meaning
Spiritual Healing Properties
Snow Quartz shares the same basic energy as Clear Quartz, except that its energy is slightly softer. It can be used to amplify the power and energy of all other crystals. Snow Quartz can also help us to accurately see into the heart of all matters and align ourselves with our Highest Selves and the Highest Good. It can be used to communicate with Angels and Spirit Guides, quiet the mind during meditation, and amplify our own psychic abilities.
| Metaphysical Properties | Snow Quartz |
|---|---|
| Chakra | Crown |
| Element | Water |
| Numerology | 2 |
| Zodiac | Capricorn |
Emotional Healing Properties
Snow Quartz is a gentle stone that quietly encourages us to find alignment and harmony. It can be used to filter out negative emotions and increase positive emotions. It offers support during difficult situations, when we have a tendency to feel overwhelmed and drained. It is especially good for anyone who has a tendency towards martyrdom or “victim mentality.” Snow Quartz gently reminds us that we do have some choice in our circumstances and our responses, and that we can choose a path leading to health and happiness.
Mental Healing Properties
Snow Quartz helps us to sort through complicated situations and correctly determine our role. If we need to let go of certain responsibilities, it shows us how to do so gracefully. Snow Quartz is a wonderful stone for diplomats, lawyers, and anyone who needs to use language to achieve proper cooperation. It reminds us to stop and think before we speak.
Physical Healing Properties
Snow Quartz can be used wherever Clear Quartz is used. Quartz is consider a Master Healer and can be used as a talisman to support any condition. It can be used in conjunction with other healing stones to amplify their specific power. The energy of Snow Quartz is somewhat gentler that Clear Quartz, making it especially suitable for treating children and elders. For elders, it can help us to recognize if we are no longer able to take care of ourselves and need assistance from others. It reminds us that our choices, including our refusal to make a choice or take action, has serious consequences. Snow Quartz encourages us to take action before the situation becomes needlessly dramatic.
Available Today
Buy Snow Quartz or Crystals with a Similar Energy
Snow Quartz Mineralogy
Where does Snow Quartz come from?
Snow Quartz is opaque Quartz, also known as White Chalcedony or Quartzite. It can be found anywhere that Clear Quartz is found, including Brazil, India and the United States. Most of the Snow Quartz on the market comes from Brazil.
Mining and Treatments
Snow Quartz is an opaque Quartz that can be found wherever Quartz is found. It is most commonly mined in Amethyst mines. When Snow Quartz and Amethyst form in layers, it creates a beautiful crystal called Banded Amethyst.
All Snow Quartz may be considered fully natural, enhanced only by cutting, tumbling, and polishing.
Snow Quartz
Mineral Family
Snow Quartz is an opaque member of the Quartz family, a group of silicate minerals. Quartz is divided into two main groups, macrocrystalline and microcrystalline. Macrocrystalline quartz has well-formed crystals that are large enough to be seen by the naked eye, for example, Amethyst or Clear Quartz. Microcrystalline quartz has crystals so small they can only be seen through a microscope. These are typically grouped together under the name Chalcedony, or it’s subcategories Agate and Jasper.
Microcrystalline quartz can be colorless or appear in every shade of the rainbow. Scientifically speaking, Chalcedony should be translucent to opaque and have a solid color. There are a few famous varieties of Chalcedony that have distinct name. For example, Carnelian is a red to orange colored Chalcedony, Onyx is black and Chrysoprase is an apple-green variety. White Chalcedony is more often referred to as Quartzite or Snow Quartz.
Snow Quartz’s energy works well with its family – other minerals. Try it in combination with
Snow Quartz Formation and Crystal Associates
Snow Quartz is created after a volcanic explosion has transformed magma and lava into igneous rock. During the cooling down period, various gases form bubbles, which then become hollow spaces in the igneous rock. The rocks also shift and break, creating empty cracks, fissures and other hollows. Chalcedony are formed long afterwards, when silica-bearing water permeates the rocks and begins to fill these hollow spaces. As the space fills, the water evaporates leaving the silica behind to harden into a Chalcedony. The silica-water may have picked up trace minerals along the way, which result in different colors and patterns in the new stone.
Snow Quartz’s energy works well with its “friends” – crystal associates formed in the same geological environment. Try it in combination with Amethyst, Banded Amethyst. Energetically it can be used in place of Clear Quartz for a slightly “softer” touch.
| Mineralogy | Snow Quartz |
|---|---|
| Chemical Formula | SiO2 |
| Cleavage | None |
| Color | White |
| Crystal System | Hexagonal/triagonal |
| Form/Habit | Microcrystalline |
| Fracture | Uneven |
| Hardness – Mohs Scale | 7 |
| Luminescence | Greenish-white (long wave) / Green (short wave) |
| Luster | Vitreous |
| Mineral Family | Tectosilicate |
| Specific Gravity | 2.7 |
| Streak | White |
| Transparency | Opaque |
History of Snow Quartz
The word Quartz dates back to the 16th century and is an old German mining term. Prior to that, Quartz was more often called by its Greek name, krystallos, meaning “clear ice”. For centuries, Quartz was believed to be ice which had petrified and therefore remained in a permanent solid state. This belief persisted well into the European medieval period. Quartzite, or Snow Quartz, is actually a White Chalcedony.
The name Chalcedony is believed to come from the ancient seaport of Chacedon, which today is a district in modern Istanbul, Turkey. The earliest reference to Chalcedony dates back to the Byzantine Era and states, “The stone Chalcedony is bored in iron: he who wears it conquers.” A poem written around the same time described the stone as one which, “shines with a faint paleness. It comes between the hyacinth and the beryl. Anyone who carry it will, it is said, be successful in lawsuits.” From the medieval period onward, lapidaries linked Chalcedony to the weather and stated that it could offer protection from storms, both natural ones and those found in the heat of battle.
When working with Snow Quartz it is beneficial to also explore the concept of winter and snow as spiritual concepts. Winter is a time of rest, when one year ends and a new one begins. During the winter, night lasts longer than the day, giving us an opportunity to explore questions of light and shadow. Winter can also be a time when we face hardships, perhaps even hunger, but from these experiences we learn endurance and hope. Snowflakes are tiny natural ice crystals. Their size and shape depends on the temperature and the humidity in the air. If it is more humid, the snowflakes are large and well-formed. If the air is dry, the snowflakes are smaller and more dense. Spiritually, snowflakes are a reminder that even though we may look the same from a distance, look more closely. We are all unique, just as no two snowflakes are perfectly alike.
