Quartz crystals are forever

Merlin’s collection of geological specimens includes some quartz crystals and a small geode of amethyst. Quartz crystals can be made to vibrate at specific frequencies, and this property is used in accurate time keeping. The watch on your wrist is likely to contain a quartz crystal.

Crystals have always fascinated people and incredible powers have been attributed to them. Crystal healers claim that all living organisms have a “vibrational energy system” which includes chakras, electromagnetic fields around the body (the aura) and meridians.

Using the vibrations of the crystals, a trained practitioner can allegedly focus, direct and diffuse the energy within the body, using the perfect structure of the crystal for the body to emulate. Crystal healing also allegedly gives the body a chance to relax, which is said to allow the immune system to heal whatever is wrong.

Merlin is unaware of any scientific data to back up such claims. However, the earliest records of crystal healing come from the Ebers papyrus of ancient Egypt.

Earlier this year (2009), the Merlins found themselves in Belfast, where Merlin, who has an addiction to books and libraries, headed for the Linen Hall Library. This is a subscription library founded in 1788, and among the treasures on show there was a large crystal known as the Cave Hill Diamond.

Cave Hill Country Park, about 6km north of Belfast, is on top of a basalt cliff some 350m high. The park has splendid panoramic views and walking trails, and a number of interesting archaeological and historical sites. These include the Neolithic caves that give the hill its name and an ancient earthwork called MacArt’s Fort. Local legends have long claimed that a diamond, or diamonds, existed in the area.

In the 1880s, a huge quartz crystal was alleged to have been found in the Cave Hill area, and was sold to one John Erskine, a hatmaker of Belfast. Apparently, Erskine placed the crystal in his shop window. This made him one of the best-known shopkeepers in Belfast.

After he died in 1907 his Cave Hill “diamond” disappeared. A few years ago, one of his descendants discovered the crystal among her possessions and donated it to the Linen Hall Library, where it has been on display throughout the summer of 2009.