Quartz For Engagement Rings

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 and 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!

Rock Crystal

This is also known as Clear Quartz. Its name comes from the Greek word for ice ‘krustallos’ as it was thought to be ice formed by the gods. It is free from impurities, transparent and has a vitreous lustre. It has poor cleavage and has conchoidal fracturing, and facetted edges will wear after a while. It is said to have mystical properties and has been used for fortune telling for hundreds of years! It was popular in ancient times and is regularly used for carvings and intricate beading. If you want a really fabulous famous example, check out The Lothiar Crystal from the 15th Century which depicts the story of Susanna from the Bible. The most important sources are in Brazil, but it is also sourced in the Swiss and French Alps, Spain, Japan, Madagascar, and parts of the USA and Russia. It is regularly used for beading, cameos, and is often used in brilliant cuts and step cuts.

Rose Quartz

A rose-red to pale pink gemstone found in pegmatites, whose colour supposedly comes from trace amounts of iron, manganese and titanium. It is often translucent, cloudy or streaked in appearance due to rutile needle inclusions; in fact these microscopic needles can produce asterism in the stone. Clear ‘gem-quality’ stones are fairly rare and can be quite expensive to source, although not ideal for engagement rings these can be lovely in rings worn on a more occasional basis such as dress rings or cocktail rings. They are even regularly used by Yogis to balance their chakras! The stone is regularly used for carving ornaments, so you might pop into a store and see one masquerading as a lamp! They are rarely found in crystal form, and instead are sourced in large lumps which are then cut down. They are a great option for beading, mixed gemstone cuts and cameos. The best stones are sourced in Madagascar, but they mostly come from Brazil, but they are also sourced in Scotland, Colorado, Spain, India, Africa and Russia.