We are a part of eBay Affiliate Network, and if you make a purchase through the links on our site we earn affiliate commission.
Quartz is one of the most common minerals on the planet, providing everything from the sparkle in granite to the ticking of wristwatches—the stone’s vibrations are regular enough to keep time. Rock crystal quartz is colorless, but amethyst is...
Continue reading
Quartz is one of the most common minerals on the planet, providing everything from the sparkle in granite to the ticking of wristwatches—the stone’s vibrations are regular enough to keep time. Rock crystal quartz is colorless, but amethyst is purple, citrine is yellow, and aventurine is green. All are varieties of gem-quality, single-crystal quartz. Gem-quality cryptocrystalline (also called microcrystalline) quartz is also called chalcedony, examples of which include agate, onyx, and carnelian. Because of its ubiquity, evidence of quartz jewelry has been found dating back 7,000 years. One especially ancient find, discovered in present-day Iraq, takes the form of rose quartz beads, making quartz one of the earliest materials used in ornamental jewelry. Amethyst gets its purple-to-violet color from traces of iron mixed into the “pure” quartz recipe of one silicon atom for every two of oxygen atoms. Amethysts are dichroic, which means they appear bluer when viewed from one direction and redder when viewed from another. Jewelers give amethysts mixed and step cuts, making them perfect for sparkling rings. The best amethysts are mined in the Ural Mountains of Russia, which are redder than Canadian amethysts, which are more violet. The yellow variety of quartz is called citrine, and also gets its hue from iron, although obviously in different amounts and under different conditions than the iron that turns amethysts purple—heat-treating amethysts will turn those gems a very desirable lemon yellow. Sometimes misnamed as topaz, citrine is often given brilliant and pendaloque cuts. Aventurine, which ranges from green to brassy, gets its color from green fuchsite mica, pyrite, hematite, and even copper. Because it is opaque, it is usually polished into cabochons or carved into cameos. In some cases, the greens are rich enough to cause confusion with jade. Of the chalcedony varieties of quartz, agate is perhaps the most diverse. Frequently cut and polished...
Continue reading

Best of the Web

All About Jewels Dictionary
This incredible reference dictionary on jewelry, from Enchantedlearning.com, is both beautiful...
Most Watched

Best of the Web

All About Jewels Dictionary
This incredible reference dictionary on jewelry, from Enchantedlearning.com, is both beautiful...