Phantom Crystals

Phantom Crystals have layers of tiny particles deposited in flat sheets floating inside the clear quartz. The particles can be different colors, or densities, or practically invisible. The layers might be faceted like the crystal, or stacked like pancakes. When the crystal is moved, the phantom layers seem to appear and disappear. The phantoms can be any color, or more than one color. Sometimes the phantom looks like a picture or sculpture of the crystal when it was a youngster. Phantoms or ghost layers, also called “rafters,” are usually thin flat layers of small mineral particles. They may be any color, but are often green, gray or white. Stacked layers may occur- from 2 to 100 or more levels! The layers usually take on triangular or pyramid shapes. Sometimes multiple colors occur in waves within one layer.

Chlorite Phantoms have mineral clay inclusions, typically green. These are considered good for promoting prosperity and growth. The tiny clay particles can take the shape of phantoms/ghosts/rafters, appearing as thin flat sheets of green floating inside the clear quartz. Or the green can be in splashes or clumps, which we call “garden crystals”, especially where other earthy colors are mixed in. “Chlor” means green, and “ite” means rock; thus, green is the most common color of the chlorite clay family. However, all other colors are found, especially tan, brown, black and lavender. Depending on the metallic atoms present in clay, multicolored phantoms are found in some clear quartz crystals. A dozen or more colors may express in a single crystal, or adjacent crystals on a cluster may have different colors.

Garden Crystals have areas where colored minerals are trapped or formed in the clear quartz. The minerals may be just specks, or might be crystallized into different geometric shapes. One or more colors or types of inclusions may co-exist. Some fractal phantom patterns mimic ferns, flowers and trees; beaches, mountains and cliffs; or star nebula patterns.