- Aqua aura
Aqua aura is a term used to describe a natural
crystal that has been coated with gold fumes [ [http://www.mindat.org/min-11537.html Aqua Aura: Aqua Aura mineral information and data ] ] . It is created in a vacuum chamber fromquartz crystals andgold vapor by a process known asvapour deposition [The Illustrated Dictionary of Geology By Cindy Jones - Page 16 ( [http://books.google.com/books?id=12u5FkbIUdMC&pg=PA16&dq=""2aqua+aura""2+-healing&ei=qynVR5P7FoOssgP0t4z2Aw&sig=HsEDip23colt4cIg9wweA_UIXzU Google Books Link] )] . The quartz is heated to 871 °C (1600 °F) in avacuum , and then gold vapor is added to the chamber. The gold atoms fuse to the crystal's surface, which gives the crystal an iridescent metallic sheen. The process was awarded the United StatesPatent No. 6997014 on14 February 2006 [http://www.google.com/patents?id=x213AAAAEBAJ&dq=6997014] .When viewed under a gemological microscope in diffused direct transmitted light, Aqua Aura displays the following properties [Gems: Their Sources, Descriptions and Identification By Robert Webster, Michael O'Donoghue ( [http://books.google.com/books?id=ZwcM5H-wHNoC&pg=PT28&dq=""2aqua+aura""2+-healing&lr=&ei=zCrVR-XPNYWwtgPVwpj2Aw&sig=5JwZQlpMhKZLCPmHvjEzHQuo4o0#PPA725,M1 Google Books] )] :
*A coppery surface iridescence in tangential illumination
*Diffused dark outlines of some facet junctions
*A patchy blue colour distribution on some facets
*White facet junctions, irregular white abrasions and surface pits, where the treatment either did not "take" or had been abraded away.Additional elements can be used to treat quartz, such as
indium ,titanium , andcopper . The coloring of this treatment is only on the surface, so all faceted and polished material you find has been treated after it has been made originally. Often, quartz of lesser quality, with fractures and weak spots, will break apart during the coating processFact|date=March 2008.The aqua aura treatment can be used to reveal twinning in quartz crystals that would otherwise go undetectedFact|date=March 2008. While most treated quartz is destined for the metaphysical marketplace, it does have a use in the field of mineralogy.
References
ee also
*
Flame aura
*Rhinestone
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