This article will be expanded and photos added... Mikey's working on it In addition to rock crystal and milky quartz, other varieties of quartz crystals are present in this region.     Index to Quartz Digging Cleaning Worth Fee Pay Mines Types Forms Inclusions Geology Mineralogy Metaphysics Synthetic Gemstones Handedness Experiments Photos from readers

Chapter 1   Page 6 MOST OF THE QUARTZ in the Ouachita Mountains occurs as milky veins. The principal difference between milky quartz and clear rock crystal is the presence of innumerable microscopic bubbles or fluid-filled cavities in the milky quartz. These cavities scatter the light that otherwise would pass through a clear crystal. Smoky Quartz Smoky quartz occurs next to Cretaceous igneous rocks near Magnet Cove in Hot Spring county. The dark color is caused by radioactivity that irradiated the crystal during, or shortly after, its formation. Growth zoning is common in crystals from this area. Some natural smoky quartz has also been found in Garland County, although *most* smoky quartz present in rock shops is natural quartz that has been artificially irradiated. The crystal on the left is a natural smoky from Smoky Crystal mine, southwest of Jessieville, Garland County, AR . On the right is a small cluster of natural dark smoky quartz crystals on novaculite matrix, from the Runyan quartz mine, north of Magnet Cove, Hot Spring County, AR Bubble Quartz Quartz with fluid inclusions ("bubble quartz") and negative or skeletal crystals are present in the younger formations (Stanley and Atoka) of the Ouachita Mountains. Usually, these types of crystals resemble quartz from Herkimer, New York, and are formed in calcite veins which commonly weather away, leaving the crystals suspended in clay. Coontail Quartz Coontail quartz is a local name for a particular variety of smoky quartz collected at several sites adjacent to Magnet Cove Cubic quartz Distorted double terminated growth forms called "cubic" quartz by old time collectors. It has very small to non-existent prism faces. Left crystal with chlorite inclusion, Willis mine, Saline County, AR. Right crystal from Ron Coleman mine, near Jessieville, Garland County, AR Phantom Quartz Phantom quartz is caused by temporary interruption(s) of the crystal's growth process. Small bubbles, or small settling particles of shale or fine-grained minerals, adhere to the crystal faces of the growing quartz, resulting in 'phantoms' that look like a crystal grown inside of another crystal. More phantom info and photos on page 6a Rainbow Quartz Article and photos on page 6 b Ch1. Page 6 Contact the authors of Rockhounding Arkansas Revised Feb 2000 © Rockhounding Arkansas 1998 http://rockhoundingAR.com