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The color of smoky quartz is variable from brown to black and sometimes smoky gray colored specimens are included as smoky quartz. The cause of the color of smoky quartz is in question but it is almost certainly related to the amount of exposure to radiation that the stone has undergone. Natural smoky quartz often occurs in granitic rocks which have a small but persistent amount of radioactivity. Most smoky quartz that makes its way to rock shops and to some gem cutters has been artificially irradiated to produce a dark black color.

Smoky Quartz is somewhat abundant, making the price considerably less expensive than for other Quartz varieties. It is also abundantly available in large sizes, meaning a buyer in need of a large sized gem at a low budget will often choose Smoky Quartz.

Today, the vast majority of natural Smoky Quartz comes from Brazil. Smoky Quartz originating from Mount Cairngorm of Scotland where it is a favorite ornamental stone is called Cairngorm. There are also known deposits of natural Smoky Quartz in Australia, Madagascar, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States (Colorado).