Silver Quartzite
Silver quartzite is found worldwide exclusively in the valley Pfitsch and, thanks to extreme and changing geological conditions over millions of years, it is one of the hardest natural stones in the world.
Its mineral peculiarity is not only reflected in its hardness, but above all in the composition of the rock. Blocks from the lighter part of the quartz band have a quartz content of more than 90%. In the darker blocks, in addition to a quartz content of more than 60%, various other crystals and mineral features such as rutile, zircon, haematite or magnetite can be found. This variety of minerals leads to a wide range of efficient uses of the stone for body and mind.
The silver quartzite, which is mined so close to where I live, has fascinated me for decades. Out of conviction and with a keen sense for the depth of the stone, I developed the Silver Quartzite Experience more than ten years ago. Thanks to my many years of experience in the fields of salutogenesis, naturopathy, balneomedicine and cosmetics, I have succeeded in making the power of silver quartzite accessible in high-quality products and individual applications.
Silver quartzite is a metamorphic rock, which according to petrographic nomenclature is called “magnetite-hematite-tourmaline-bearing quartzite”. The following video shows the rock up close.
Composition
Dr. Wolfgang Marktl, Head of the Institute of Physiology of the University of Vienna and president of the Vienna-based International Academy of Holistic Medicine GAMED, includes clear silver quartzite among the scientifically recognized healing minerals.
He states that “clear silver quartzite is a geogenic peloid of inorganic origin classified in thermal medicine in the group of healing minerals”. (From “Balneotherapy Report on the presence of Silver Quartzite in Val di Vizze / Alto Adige”, Dr. W. Marktl , 2011).
Effect
Depending on its composition, silver quartzite has different uses. The clear one has a strong deacidifying effect, resulting in the detoxification process of the body. The dark silver quartzite, on the other hand, is much more versatile, in reason of the mineralogical complexity we have seen previously. Quartzite, in this case, acts as a perfect “bridge” between these minerals and the human body, amplifying their benefits.
Based on medical empiricism and balneotherapy reports, silver quartzite is effective for:
→ body detoxification
→ skin deacidification and firming
→ therapies in dermatological issues (e.g. neurodermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, acne, boils, scarring, etc.)
→ naturopathic treatments
→ transfer of natural essences and oils to the body
→ release from mental and emotional blocks
Mineral Composition of Silver Quartzite.
*The petrographic analysis of silver quartzite, carried out by Dr. Volker von Seckendorff of the Institute of Geography and Geology of Würzburg, determined the following values:
Dark Silver Quartzite:
Clear Silver Quartzite:
History
About 150 million years ago, the African and Eurasian Plates approached each other and collided. The pressure generated caused faults, aquifers, thrusts and folds, leading to the formation of the Alps over millions of years.
In this play of pressures that lasted for millennia, the Eurasian plate first slipped under the African one, and then resurfaced in some points, called tectonic windows, following the erosion and subsequent demolition of the overlying plate.
One of these windows is in South Tyrol, known as the ‘Tauern window’. Thanks to this geological phenomenon, experts can literally take a look at the deepest layers of the earth and thus its history.
After a long journey at temperatures of over 500° C and pressure of up to 8 kilobars, what was once the southern coastal strip of the Eurasian plate has been transformed into one of the hardest natural stones in the world: silver quartzite.
Stone healing knowledge
Effects and indications according to Michael Gienger, author “Lexikon der Heilsteine” (Encyclopaedia of Healing Stones)
Silver quartzite is a metamorphite. “As such it helps bringing things to an end, closing open cycles and leting go. It encourages us to end all those conditions that we do not want to continue. It also gives us the necessary courage and energy to do so. Silver quartzite stimulates mental and physical detoxification and supports all cleansing processes.”