Quartz In Engagement Rings Part 2

Did you know that quartz is the second most abundant mineral in the earth’s crust? (feldspar is number one!) It is used regularly for jewellery, but it s also used for carvings, and broadcasting and timepieces! It has a vitreous lustre and transparent crystalline structure which is part of the trigonal crystal system, and they generally form into hexagonal crystals with a pyramidal tip. It scores a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness, which means that sadly it is not an ideal choice for engagement rings, wedding rings or eternity rings as they are not as durable as your more traditional gemstone choices such as sapphires or diamonds. It can however be used in a variety of different pieces of jewellery such as pendants, earrings etc.. Quartz is often appreciated for its inclusions which give the stone a unique appearance! It has been a popular gemstone group since ancient times and has been worn to protect against bad luck and illness. Quartz is usually extracted from open pit mines, occasionally using small scale explosives to expose pockets of gemstone deposits. It is then usually carefully surface mined on a small scale with small scale equipment such as shovels, picks and hands!

Smoky Quartz

These come in a range of black, grey and brown colours and are known for their smoky appearance. This stone is regularly mistaken for smoky topaz. There are two varieties known as Morian (dark brown and black colours) and Cairngorm (brown-yellow colours). The later of course is named after the Scottish Mountains from which they are sourced. They are of course a popular gemstone in Scotland, where they regularly are used to decorate kilt pins! Allot of the smoky quartz available on the market is actually rock crystal that has been given radiation treatment. Sources are available in Africa, Brazil, Myanmar, Madagascar, Japan, Australia, Spain, Colorado and the Swiss Alps and they are regularly used for cameos and mixed cuts.

Strawberry Quartz

This is a rare variety of quartz, otherwise known as Hematite Quartz. Its colour comes from seedlike inclusions of red hematite fibers and lepidocrocite. The inclusions of this gemstone give it a touch of gold sparkle. Did you know there are also a whole variety of fruit quartz such as pineapple quartz, kiwi quartz, cherry quartz, and blueberry quartz? Although sadly these are mostly synthetic, and usually glass! It is said to have soothing powers and helps balance your heart chakra, so is worn to attract a soul mate! It is available from Russia, Madagascar, India, Brazil, Switzerland, Germany, and South Africa. These aren’t usually used in engagement rings or wedding rings, however they are often used for beading, mixed cuts and step cuts in dress jewellery.

Lemon Quartz

This gemstone is also known as green gold, lemon citrine and Prasiolite. It has a more yellow / lime colour tone than the amber shades of citrine. It is supposedly worn to protect the wearer from snake venom, as well as giving the wearer a positive outlook on life! This gemstone is produced via amethyst heat treatment. It is also often treated using the same gamma radiation used to sterile food! It is mainly sourced from Brazil and Africa in mixed cuts, cabochon cuts, beads, and is frequently cut into sizes of 5 carats plus!