Aqua aura

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Aqua aura

Aqua aura is a term used to describe a natural crystal that has been coated with gold fumes^[1]. It is created in a vacuum chamber from quartz crystals and gold vapor by a process known as vapour deposition^[2]. The quartz is heated to 871 °C (1600 °F) in a vacuum, 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 States Patent No. 6997014 on 14 February 2006^[3].

When viewed under a gemological microscope in diffused direct transmitted light, Aqua Aura displays the following properties^[4]:

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, and copper. 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 process^{[citation needed]}.

The aqua aura treatment can be used to reveal twinning in quartz crystals that would otherwise go undetected^{[citation needed]}. While most treated quartz is destined for the metaphysical marketplace, it does have a use in the field of mineralogy.