Girasol

Girasol ("jir-uh-saul" or "jir-uh-soul") is a clear, milky white, or extremely pale pink variety of quartz.  The word comes from the Italian girasole, “turn towards the Sun”, and originally referred to a milky blue glass first produced in Venice during the Renaissance.  The term in geology describes any mineral that displays the girasol effect: either an internal floating glow that moves with changes in the light, often white, blue, or golden yellow in color, or a haziness produced by scattered light instead.

 

Varieties of opal, moonstone, and sapphire are the best known examples. Their resemblance to girasol quartz explains some of its other trade names: moon quartz, blue opal quartz, and girasol opal quartz. Unfortunately this also leads to confusion among them, especially girasol opal and girasol quartz.

 

While girasol refers to several minerals, this optical effect is specifically called adularescence ("adj-uh-luhr-ess-ence") in moonstone.  It comes from the word adularia, after a Swiss location where stones with the effect are found. 

 

How are girasol quartz and rose quartz related?

 

Girasol quartz comes from the same mines that produce star rose quartz. It can appear pink, especially on a white surface, sometimes smoky, and may be starred itself. Polished gems can display a star shaped sheen on their surface if they contain fibers of another mineral, typically rutile. Recent research suggests not only the star effect, but the color, cloudiness, and small crystal size of most rose quartz are instead due to a previously unknown variety of pink dumortierite. These fibers are so small, they are only visible with a scanning electron microscope.

 

These inclusions produce the opalescence and girasol effect in girasol quartz. Star sapphire and girasol sapphire are related in the same way, although rutile is responsible. Because of this connection to star rose quartz, girasol quartz is also known as white rose quartz or white star quartz.

 

What other materials are called girasol?

 

An opalescent glass more commonly called opalite may also be sold as girasol. Also milky quartz colored by inclusions of water or rutile. Because rutile contains titanium, titanium quartz is another trade name for that variety. However the girasol quartz mined with star rose quartz does not contain rutile.

 

READING THE HIDDEN VIRTUES OF GIRASOL QUARTZ

 

The hidden virtues of a mineral are revealed in its geology, cultural associations, and effect on the chakra system:

 

1. Light: Its milky color and optical phenomena are both produced by light scattering off the microscopic fibers within it. Light is a traditional symbol of spiritual energy. Girasol quartz is a good tool for energy workers using modalities from Reiki to Healing Touch. It helps them tap into the flow of universal energy at the heart of their practice. Girasol quartz also supports those undergoing channeled processes like Light Body and Merkaba Activation, with its connection to light and six rayed stars.

 

2. Alignment: In regular rose quartz, the pink dumortierite fibers are more randomly distributed. In star rose quartz and girasol quartz, they are aligned along the axes of the crystal. This creates the star and girasol effects when the material is polished into a rounded shape. Like a double terminated crystal, minerals with parallel inclusions are used to align the chakra system, attune to people, places, or new energetic states, and connect to the Divine or individual spiritual beings like angels, ascended masters, and guides. Historically starred gemstones represented the watchful eye of God and were worn for protection, good luck, and psychic development.

 

3. The Sun: Because of its etymology, from the Italian girasole, “turn towards the Sun”, girasol quartz could be considered a solar mineral. In both Italian and Spanish, girasol also means sunflower. Just as the plant turns to follow the daily path of the sun, the internal glow of the girasol effect moves with the light. The Sun is an ancient symbol of the Divine and reflective materials represent devotion. Girasol quartz can be used for spiritual development, meditation, and psychopomp work, helping the dead transition into the afterlife.

 

4. Solar Flares: Its solar name, electric qualities as a form of quartz, and optical effect produced by scattered light reveal that girasol quartz can help the subtle body readjust after phenomena like solar flares.

 

Its white to pink coloring and blue to golden glow associate it with the chakras above the navel. They are the most likely to be thrown out of balance by electromagnetic events, as shown by their effects in sensitive people: lethargy, fluctuations in energy levels, stomach and digestive issues (Third Chakra), difficulty communicating and thinking (Throat Chakra), irritability, agitated emotions (Heart Chakra), headaches, psychic congestion, and inability to ground (Third Eye and Crown Chakra).

 

Like New Moon and a solar eclipse, other potentially harsher expressions of solar energy, solar flares can be harnessed for your benefit. Because they draw heavier energies to the surface, use them for purification. Because they over activate certain chakras, use them to balance and align the subtle body.

 

4. The Moon: Rather than the Sun, most trade names reveal a lunar or water connection instead: Moon quartz, Blue Moon quartz, milk quartz, and pearl quartz. The energy of girasol quartz is soothing, cool, and peaceful. With its frosted appearance and bluish white glow from scattered light, it looks like the Moon. It can be used to harness its energies, set intentions based on its monthly cycle, and connect to lunar spiritual beings. Watery minerals help us develop qualities culturally associated with the feminine like intuition, emotions, and dreams. Since divination is also ruled by the Moon, girasol quartz is good for scrying and keeping tools like Tarot cards cleansed.

 

5. The Upper Chakras and Beyond: With its white to pink coloring, and white, blue, or yellow glow, girasol quartz bridges the Crown to Third Chakra. Although it is primarily focused on the Crown and Throat Chakras. It helps balance thinking (Crown) and feeling (Heart) and supports their expression (Throat). It is a powerful tool for psychics, mediums, and channelers to maintain their connection (Crown) and accurately pass along their messages (Throat). Some models of the subtle body have an additional eighth chakra above the Crown, called the Soul Star, which represents our connection to the Divine. As a starred white mineral, girasol quartz is especially well suited for it.

 

Dumortierite, the fibrous mineral responsible for the color and optical effects of star rose quartz and girasol quartz, is typically dark blue.  It is associated with intuition, psychic abilities, and communication.

 

6. Healing Properities: Because of its lunar connections, astrologically oriented healers recommend it for parts of the body ruled by the Moon: the stomach and digestion, chest and breasts, reproductive system, bodily fluids, emotions, and unconscious mind. Those that use the modern chakra system instead recommend it for parts of the body ruled by the fifth, sixth, and seventh chakras: anything between the throat and top of the head.