Awwal - Natural Milky Quartz Wall Frame

A wall frame by Orah Jewels and Crafts carrying the opening verses of Surah Al-Alaq, the first revelation of the Quran:

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ ۙ خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ

"Recite in the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clinging substance." (Surah Al-Alaq, 96:1-2)

The calligraphy is rendered in gold-toned brass and set against a plush velvet center within a substantial outer frame. Set within the metalwork are stones of natural milky quartz, sourced from Chilas, Gilgit-Baltistan, along the Karakoram Highway where the Indus River cuts through deep mineral geology. Milky quartz is silicon dioxide in its most internal state, the same mineral as clear quartz but formed with microscopic fluid inclusions trapped during crystallization, producing the stone's characteristic soft opacity. It does not refract or scatter light the way a clear stone would. Instead it absorbs it, presenting a steady, cool white body that holds without flash. In this frame, the milky quartz sits within the brass calligraphy as quiet counterpoints to the warmth of the metal, organic and still against the precision of the script.

The outer frame is a wide gold-toned molding with a layered profile. The velvet center behind the calligraphy absorbs light and gives depth to the composition, so the brass and quartz read clearly against the dark field. The piece measures 16 x 16 inches, suited to a study, a prayer room, an entrance wall, or any space where the first words of revelation belong. Made at the Orah Jewels and Crafts facility in Lahore, where brass calligraphy, gemstone setting, and frame construction are carried out under one roof. One piece.

Calligraphy: Surah Al-Alaq 96:1-2
Stone: Natural Milky Quartz (Chilas, Gilgit-Baltistan)
Frame Material: Wood with Gold-Toned Molding
Size: 16 x 16 Inches