What is Golden Healer Quartz?

When one intrepid Stone Circle customer asked us if our iron-oxide-rich yellow quartz was the same as Golden Healer Quartz Crystal, we had to do some research.

What is Golden Healer Quartz and can you go rock hunting for it in the UK? Let’s find out together in a blog that I am making up as I go along.

(It's not that bad. Technically I make up all the blogs as I go along)

Iron Stained Quartz (or Golden Healer Quartz) crystals that we found in Southern Scotland.

What is Golden Healer Quartz?

Scientifically speaking, what is golden healer quartz?

Often referred to by crystal healers and crystal resellers as ‘The Healing Master Stone’, this beautifully coloured quartz crystal comes in a vibrant yellow to orange colour. The exact colour will depend upon which of the

iron oxides the crystal was exposed to while it formed, which of the iron oxides stained it after it formed, and how long it was in the presence of those oxides for.

And ultimately that is all it is: ordinary quartz crystal which contains iron oxides. When you live in a place like the UK which has iron-rich soil everywhere south of Loch Lomond, then there is a high chance that you will find some on your rock hunting travels.

These oxides can be on the surface of the mineral or through them. A siderite (rust) stain would usually be on the outside, but other yellow oxides can be present in the silica when it forms the quartz.

A great example of these iron oxides in action is our Scottish yellow jasper. This vibrant yellow silica-based pebble takes its yellow from the iron oxide limonite. Golden healer quartz and yellow jasper are different, however, since jasper is a microcrystalline variety of quartz, rather than a true quartz itself. Goethite can also produce a yellow colour in quartz and is often given the fame of being responsible for golden healer.

Another great example of iron oxides which add colour is hematite. The OG bloodstone, this rock literally leaks a muddy red-brown colour when wet. Quartz around hematite can be naturally stained red and is given the name ‘Strawberry Quartz’.

A "Strawberry Quartz" love heart crystal we bought at auction from a person who exclusively collected crystal hearts.

As you can see, crystal sellers like to put interesting commercial names on rocks with mixed minerals. We are in the unfortunate position of having to use the commercial names to catch the keywords, which is why we try and do a mixture of both in the Stone Circle Shop.

How Rare is Golden Healer Quartz?

Although those selling this commercially want you to believe that it is super-rare and that it is only mined in small quantities abroad somewhere, this simply isn’t true.

In the Scottish lowland hills, for example, it is easier to find iron affected quartz than it is to find white or clear quartz crystals. The rain plus the rich iron-bearing soil here is the perfect combination to produce what we have always called iron stained quartz.

It’s possible that it is time for a re-brand.

Is Golden Healer Quartz the Same as Citrine?

No. Citrine is amethyst which has been exposed to extremes of temperature, time, and pressure within the earth. Of course, there are different iron oxides which make amethyst purple instead of just normal quartz to begin with.

(If you didn't know yet, Amethyst, Citrine, Golden Healer... it's all just quartz wearing different raincoats.)

So the forums at Mindat suggest that most people agree amethyst is ordinary quartz but with manganese staining – manganese being an iron mineral and the same stuff that makes dendrites. However, there is a recent argument that Ferric Iron might be responsible instead. It could even be a combination of both.

So these minerals are present when the quartz forms, making it purple. The heat of the earth then changes this amethyst gradually into citrine over time. Golden healer quartz is quartz which either formed with different oxides, making it yellow to orange instead, or which has been stained that colour through the presence of iron minerals in the soil where it eroded or was when it was dug out.

Where is Golden Healer Quartz Found?

Everywhere. If you live in a country which used to mine iron ore during the Industrial Revolution in the 18^th century, then you live in a country capable of producing golden healer quartz – that is to say: quartz with iron staining making it yellow.

This orange quartz crystal came from the gravel path down beside our local river. It is iron-stained and technically also qualifies as Golden Healer quartz.

Can you go Rock Hunting for Golden Healer Quartz in the UK?

Yes. Start your rockhounding research by looking at areas where your (great) grandparents and their parents mined for iron. Then turn your attention to areas where quartz has been found which coincide with where you find iron.

You will find a lot of iron-stained quartz in places where you find gold. Iron and gold are in similar places in the earth. The black sands that you find in your gold pan which might indicate the presence of gold are often iron based. This is why you find iron-rich sands in places like Ellie.

Rockhounding Tips for finding Golden Healer Quartz in the UK

Quartz from the coast in the UK tends to be milkier. Quartz from the high places in Scotland is smokier. Quartz from the lowlands and smaller hills is where you are more likely to find stained quartz - where it is not continually being washed clean.

Know any waterways near you that have that deep orange dirt oozing from specific places? That orange might be rust. Those are good spots to hunt for natural golden healer quartz, right here in the burns and streams of the UK.

Keep an eye on our YouTube and tiktok pages. I will post videos the next time I find one on a dog walk.

What is the Other Name for Gold Healing Quartz?

You might hear golden healing quartz referred to as ‘hematoid quartz.’ This is closer to the truth but is technically wrong. Hematite didn’t make the quartz yellow but it could contribute to making it orange. Hematite A.K.A blood stone will always leave a red colour closer to strawberry quartz.

For the yellow in golden healer, look to goethite, limonite, and siderite iron oxides, instead.

Does Golden Healer Quartz Heal People?

Arg. We don’t really do crystal healing but we do provide crystals to those who practice this art. As it's not our bag, we try to avoid talking spirituality on the site even though we are spiritual people. That being said…

Golden healer/iron-stained quartz crystals are believed to boost your confidence, motivation, and passion. Golden healer quartz in crystal healing powers those lower chakra points, capturing the juicy, bright energy of the sun and using the rocks to channel that into the body.

We always add that if you are sick, see a doctor. Crystal healing is holistic. It is designed to be an aid which relaxes you.

How to Cleanse Golden Healer Quartz?

If you buy iron rich quartz from The Stone Circle, it will come washed if not perfectly dirt-free. We are rock hunters, after all. You should probably expect a little Scottish dirt in with your order.

If you buy golden healer from a crystal seller, wholesaler, or retailer, you can wash it with hot, soapy water. If the yellow washes off then we are sorry, you have been had. Even the lightest iron staining doesn't

The spiritual amongst you will likely want to use salted water or bathe it in incense smoke.

Crystals you want to use for rituals should have all four elements. Hot water, incense smoke, and dry them on a bed of rock salt crystals for the earth element.

If you buy a crystal second-hand and you are not spiritual, then you should still give it a scrub. Just wash it with the dishes if it is a polished stone. If it is a raw stone with defined crystals, a dry toothbrush and toothpicks can work. We are curious about how a water flosser would work but that’s a different story.

How to Activate Golden Healer Quartz?

This question has always confused me as a long-time practising spiritualist. I have never really figured out what it means. Clean your crystal and then carry it on you or keep it near you until it feels like it belongs to you. That’s all there is to it. Unless you are conducting a ritual which again, there are different rules for.

Wicca practitioners will often treat crystals as they would treat any other natural element. For example, activation might include placing the stone in direct moonlight as you might make moon water. You can also 'use' your stone during meditation using the specific stone which corresponds to the specific chakra point.

What is the Rarest Colour of Quartz?

Truly yellow quartz (citrine) is the rarest colour of quartz of all. It is produced in few places around the world and, most notably, does not get its colour from iron oxides present after formation.

Conclusion: Golden Healer Quartz is Just Iron Stained Quartz (But That Doesn’t Make it Less Special)

The conclusion can only be that golden healer quartz is, in fact, just quartz which has been ‘stained’ by iron ores. Although this doesn’t make it less special, it does make it a heck of a lot more common than you’d think. In fact, you can probably find some in your local UK stream.

Can you buy golden healer quartz from the Stone Circle? Yes, but we just call it iron stained. Perhaps in the future we will change our ways.