The Stone Circle Online Crystal Shop

 Introducing The Stone Circle 

The online crystal shop with a difference

Those that follow the blog will know that I am into crystals, big time. Specifically, I am into getting out into the wilderness to try and find them. Me, my dog, and my backpack, can often be found pottering around the lowlands, trying to source the best material I can find. 

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Recently, this pottering has been joined by another, the original potterer, @rockhounding_fox. A few years ago, it was him that sparked my initial interest in rocks to being with. Of course, I had loved gemstones since I was a girl... but I hadn't realised that they were just lying around up there. In all my foolish youth, I never stopped to think about where the crystals came from... and that's what it is that sets the Stone Circle apart.

We intend to start an online platform where we can sell the conjoined efforts of our many hunts. We learned how to scrub those minerals up so they looked better, how to sand and polish them to a high shine, and even how to cut them in half. 

When you come to us for your crystal, the idea is that we can tell you where it was found, when it was found, and which one of us it was that found it. We do intend to trade in old crystal collections and the likes too, but we want to start something new... a crystal store where all of the minerals bought and sold are ethically sourced. 

We want crystals we can trace right back to the slope of the mountain or the curve of the river. We want to produce collections of all-natural, non-dyed, non-sprayed crystals that have only been opened, touched, and polished, by us.

We are operating under the premise that each of these stones comes to us for a reason. We are meant to find it a new home, to send it out into the world like a new puppy. Each crystal has a job to do - even if it's only to put a smile on someone's face. We help them perform that task... that's what the Stone Circle is all about.

So pop by the Stone Circle, show us some love, enjoy your visit and browse a fine collection of Scottish minerals. You can read about the finds on the blog, even if you don't want to spend anything. You might find the thing you are looking for. More likely, you will find something that helps you attain what it is that you're looking for... Crystals can be fickle that way.

Besides, if it's the universe that's offering, it's rude to say no.

Rockhunting Pink Larimar Pectolite in Southern Scotland

 

There are loads of beautiful rocky riverbeds in the west of Scotland, although one or two are protected, or have nesting areas for rare wildlife. As usual, always double check if you plan to have a visit yourself.

Onto the rocks! 

Finding Pink Pectolite

I first came across pink pectolite when I was out on the trail for jasper. Some of the best red/yellow jasper in Scotland comes from Ayrshire. I spent a lot of time hunting it down, as regular readers will know. 

So in between trawling rivers and doing a load of reading, hanging out in the Campsies and checking the River Clyde for some lovely yellow/black lined jasper - I stumbled across this weird pink rock that looked a bit like salmon. A bit of research led me to realise I had been in the right location for pink larimar pectolite - which I had found completely by accident.

Just to be clear: I went on a hunt for the most common rock in Scotland and found one of the rarest types of rock in the world. It's only known in a few places... not unlike the original brightly coloured blue/green of pure Larimar - which is only found in one single place in the entire globe. 

What is Larimar?

Larimar is the trading name assigned to blue pectolite, specifically found in the Dominican Republic. Pectolite is a fibrous stone with a hardness of between 4.5 and 6... making it easy to shape for us hand polishers. It has a perfect cleavage with crystals all facing the same direction, and it is opaque. If light comes through your larimar, it is probably a fake (sorry).

What the relationship between pink pectolite and larimar is, is that one is blue, and one is pink. They are of the same mineral family. The name "larimar" is just used to describe that specific, blue-coloured pectolite. It was discovered in 1974 and has grown in popularity every year since.

What is Pink Pectolite?

 

On the other hand, pink pectolite looks very much like salmon. It is a pinky-peachy colour normally, but I have come across pieces ranging from white through to a yellowish, almost agatized colour. Other locations that contain pectolite report it can be purplish, greenish, or even grey in colour. In the rivers of Scotland, the pectolite is pink.

Larimar and pink pectolite have the same crystal structure. They are found in different places, and larimar may be dark blue, light blue, or aqua green. Larimar is also pectolite and belongs to this group of minerals. I hope I am explaining this clearly enough.

Interestingly enough, some of the pieces we come across have a black face or black sides to it. We thought this was bedrock but Minerals.net have this as tarnishing due to air exposure. The pieces we found have come from the water, so we are assuming air exposure isn't a factor. They record the hardness as 4.5-5, although admit that when tightly packed, the fibres of this crystal can make it denser. Single crystals are rare because they would be so soft that they would erode on touch. 

The crystal structure looks exactly like you had cut into a salmon fish finger on these stones. The pink is lined, all usually radiating out from a single point. This means you sometimes come across sort of star-like formations in the grain of the rock. We have found a few pieces of stone with the ghost-shape of a missing pectolite crystal formation imprinted in it; the pectolite having been so soft it was worn away.

Where does it come from? We were recently in Angus and brought back some suspiciously pectolite-looking specimens to cut with the new saw and get a good look at. It just might be we found an unknown source right here in Scotland.

From now until I give up on the idea, Fox and I will be collecting, shaping, and hand-polishing pieces of pectolite. Some will stay as specimens; others will go out as jewellery. To date we only have a few pieces, but we are working on it. They will be listed as they are ready, on the Stone Circle site.

The Meaning of Pectolite?

Before we wrap up for the day, and as always, I wanted to cover the spiritual meanings associated with the pink pectolite stone. This gem is a sweet replacement for rose quartz, said to imbibe the wearer with a deeper sense of peace and relaxation. If you are suffering from anxiety, wearing some around your neck should help you maintain a calm composure. 

Some sources say that pectolite is incredibly useful for those overcoming addiction, behavioural, or emotional problems. Those going through grief or experiencing trauma will benefit from wearing a piece of pectolite, since it helps to balance out extremes of emotion. 

The colour of the pectolite that you wear will also affect its impact on your life. Pink pectolite is extremely rare, only being found in two or three locations worldwide. It is thought to reward the divine feminine in you, honour your emotions, and embrace realisations of the self. It is a wisdom stone. If enlightenment is what you seek, then add some to your collection and meditate with it.

Larimar is said to be excellent for clearing blockages to the throat chakra. If we had to guess on the pink pectolite, we would say it affects the same chakra, since the makeup of the stones is almost identical.

A Note on Thomsonite

Let's just clear this up once and for all... Thomsonite and pink pectolite are two different minerals. Thomsonite does not always have perfect cleavage, and has orthorhombic crystal structures, as opposed to the specific triclinic crystal structure found in pectolite. They look a little like each other, but they are very different minerals. Beware of sellers marketing Thomsonite as pink pectolite to you. Ask where the crystals came from, if it isn't the west of Scotland, then the pink pectolite they are trying to sell you is likely to be pink thomsonite, instead. You can always read the Wikipedia pages on the two minerals to clarify. You will find both Pectolite and Thomsonite on there. Be aware that you get either mineral in different colour variations, too.

Thomsonite in basalt (source)

And that just about wraps it up on pink pectolite. If you have managed to buy a piece from us - congratulations! If you buy it in late 2020/early 2021, you will be one of our first pectolite customers, which is something to celebrate. It will have been picked, brought home for a clean, polished by hand, and wound up at your door. If that's not an ethically sourced mineral, we don't know what is. Enjoy your new piece of pectolite and be sure to tell us if it does what it is supposed to. It's the last few days of 2020. We could all use less stress in our lives.

(With @rockhounding_fox, @katrionamacmillan)

 

Making Bismuth Crystals At Home

Bismuth from Magnametals on Ebay

I bought a piece of Bismuth on Ebay after watching an online tutorial so I am now officially an expert at this... Joking. I just like smashing things up with my hammer... But the multi-coloured, pyramid-like crystals formed by Bismuth when it cools down were just too much of a lure to ignore


The Bismuth I bought was 99.99% pure; I'm not sure what that means but I suspect it is the same as bleach. Since microscopes can't see the smallest bacteria the bleach adverts aren't allowed to say that they are 100% effective, so they always say they "kill 99.99% of all bacteria." instead. From what I have read though impurities will float to the surface once the cooling process begins. You can skim it like you skim the fat off a chicken stock...

I am getting off topic. As you can see the Bismuth is very pretty in the form it arrived in. I figured that it would be easier to melt down if it was in smaller pieces. For this, you should use safety goggles. If you don't have any then wrap the metal in a towel before you attack it with the hammer. This will mean you're less likely to get anything in your eyes or flying off to hit you. Once You have smashed it into pieces you can put it straight into the pot. Make sure it is an old pot because once you have melted metal in it you won't be able to get it clean ever, ever again.


So the process should go something like this:

• You melt the Bismuth in a pan. I found out there is actually no need to smash it after all, since the bigger bits all melted easily.
• You can melt the Bismuth on a normal cooker, since it has a melting point of 271 degrees C (ish). 
• You take the pan off the heat once the metal has become molten.
• As it cools the metal will form into pretty crystals that form in all different colours.
• The colour of the metal will change depending on what temperature the cooling liquid comes into contact with the air. This is why we get a rainbow of colours from Bismuth crystals. 
• This is one of the many YouTube videos I watched before I started... helpful, but proof that not all things can be mastered by watching an instructional video...

I made several mistakes. Firstly, I didn't remove the slag quickly enough. I still haven't got the hang of this. The slag cools exceptionally quickly and you have to move fast once you take the Bismuth off the heat. The unique blend of colours are created through the oxidization process and this is part of the reason that you should cool it as slowly as you can. The greater array of temperatures you cool it at will make for a greater scope of colour. I got stuck with blue, green and purple... but I'm not complaining!

I took a short video just to let you see what the Bismuth looks like when melted... it's pretty fascinating stuff.

My next mistake was not letting it cool slowly enough so that you can catch the colours. I did see one video with the Bismuth pan wrapped in insulation which did seem to slow the cooling process.I also didn't move the crystals that had newly formed around with a fork. If you don't keep the top and bottom layer separate you will end up with a solid block of metal as the crystals join up... unfortunately when you only have a hundred grams of a metal it's not enough for layers. You can see from the video how little it actually is to work with.

All this being said I'm not about to gice up just yet. Next time I will buy a bigger quantity of Bismuth and I guess about a half kilo would be enough to make layers. As you can see from the end result I need a lot of practise at this. I think it would be worth it to investigate further though, as soon as I find the time.

I added a close up below so you can see the beginnings of the crystal formation. This is one project I hope to get much better at over time.

In terms of trickiness I'd give it a seven out of ten. In terms of crystal formation I give myself a two out of ten... however, I would do it again (and probably will) just for the fun of it.

Rock picking in scotland

One of my favourite passtimes is to go out into this fabulous wilderness that surrounds me and retrieve mineral samples. This started as a lifelong interest in crystals, their healing power and their downright prettiness and has led me to some astonishing natural landscapes in the short year I have spent on it so far.

The photograph to the right is actually from a public park as you enter Kilsythe from the east. Dog (Kai) and I climbed to the top of the cliff face to look for rocks. This is the view from the top. There were some beautiful views but no visible quartz veins or other evidence of good veins.

Although this location wasn't successful the areas both north and south of where I live are littered with good finds.

Glencrieff Mine

The location to the left is Glencrieff Mine that lies just outside of Wanlockhead, the highest village in Scotland and home to the Lead Mining Museum. They call this part of Scotland "God's Treasure House" and do so with good reason.

There are three main veins that dissect Scotland and are of geological interest. The first dissects along the Southern Uplands range, the second along the Tyndrum band and the third can be found north again, this time up as far as Helmsdale. Understand that these veins run all the way across the country and are not limited to those areas.

This Calcite formed on hardened dirt

This means that all of these areas where gold is found is actually also prime crystal picking territory. The Calcite crystal sample to the right actually came from the mine pictured above. Calcite grows in absolute abundance here. You can't throw a stone without finding that stone is made of Calcite! These crystals are often growing on or around rock and are usually combined with other minerals from the area, such as Pyrite and Galena, which is a deep blue-grey when found in this locale.

Calcite Crystal from Wanlockhead, Scotland

The Calcite crystals themselves are mostly white and off-white. Some are yellow and some are stained red while some are growing from Galena leading to a beautiful silver blue hue on the surface crystal.

I learned early on that the make-up of Calcite means it will bubble when you put acid on it. This didn't stop me leaving a few pieces in vinegar to see what would happen. Within moments the vinegar turns black and murky as it starts to dissolve the dirt molecules. Unfortunately it doesn't stop there, and it will move on to destroying any aged calcite crystals that are breaking down already. Ultimately you will be left with only the strongest of the crystals and even these will be coated with a powdery dusting of dissolved calcium.

Possible Pyromorphite from Wanlockhead, Scotland

 

Interestingly, if you put quartz into acid it won't bubble. So if you ever find yourself with an unknown clear crystal formation and you pop it into vinegar the Calcite will produce small bubbles while the quartz will not! Not so common in this area but still found are Pyromorphite and reportedly Flourite, although I have yet to find any. Gold too, of course, though all I ever get in my pan is flour gold too fine to amount to anything.

My rock box, where crystals go to be cleaned

 

Traditionally, Scottish rocks consist mainly of agates. Agates are easily identifiable as multiple layers of colour all inside one stone. You do get sandstone like this too but it is very easy to tell the difference just by feel alone. An Agate found on the riverbed is likely to have the coloured layer exposed whereas one dug out of the fields is more likely to resemble a bumpy potato and be encased in some sort of stone. I haven't had the pleasure of digging up an agate yet.

Kai at Elie Bay

More recently we took a road trip out to Elie Bay in the hope of finding some of the elusive Elie Bay rubies. No joy yet, but we did come across this magnificent vein in the exposed bedrock. I believe it is quartz but I have yet to test it in acid. The theory of Elie Bay is to do with a deep red coloured seaweed dyes the rock red. I don't know if I have been searching the wrong locations or what but I haven''t given up on finding an Elie Ruby yet...

Lastly for today I think, Scotland is home to some of the most beautiful Morion quartz in the world. Me and doag are always out hunting the darkest pieces and actually sell some of it on Etsy. If you happen to be a crystal collector or someone with a tumbler who wants samples get in touch and we can work something out. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures and I will try to keep you up-to-date with my escapades... it all slows down here in the winter though... but I have a whole summer's worth of rocks to sort out meantime!

Morion Smokey Quartz from my collection

You can buy some of these lovely samples for yourself through the Stone Circle page.