Crystal Healing

[jivatman]

A gem's properties can be described in two parts.

First, it is composed of a specific mineral, such as quartz of diamond (SiO2, Carbon). Almost all gems can be found in colorless versions, though some are rarer than others.

Second, the color, is usually caused by specific trace chemicals found within the mineral. Both Ruby and Sapphire are Corundum with different impurities. Amethyst is quartz with Iron, ect. Note that most minerals can be found in a very wide variety of colors because of different trace chemicals, but some are very rare and thus extremely expensive. Color is usually, but not always caused by impurities as Peridot, for example is always green.Trace chemicals found in otherwise colorless minerals do change their chemical properties significantly, such as turning diamond from an insulator into a conductor.

I do not think that quartz can be directly compared to a diamond. The first analogy I can think of, is that LSD, while psychoactive, is not DMT.

The molecular shape, the primary determinant of it's properties, is different.