Rutilated quartz - Introduction
Rutilated quartz jewelry is specific in many aspects, but what makes it really special are the particular properties of rutile quartz. Therefore, in order to fully appreciate the beauty and meaning of this type of jewelry, one would have to first learn something about the gemstone alone - about the rutile quart crystal and its lore, mythology, physical and metaphysical features.
Rutile quartz composition
Rutile quartz is an extraordinary gemstone, quite unlike any other from the family of semi-precious and precious crystals. It is a combination of two different crystals and their specific intermixing is what makes this gemstone stand out among all the other stones. The bulk of the rutilated quartz body is consisted of quartz, that is, rock crystal quartz. Quartz is by far the most abundant mineral on the surface of our planet. It can be transparent, translucent or opaque. It can also be colored in countless different shades of the light spectrum. However, the type of quartz most frequently encountered in rutile quartz jewelry is the transparent colorless variation often designated as rock crystal. The forming of rutilated quartz from smoky or milky quartz is also possible, but these variations of quartz are encountered not so often.
The rutilated quartz, however, is quite often not colorless. Its color stems from the other component which is rutile. The chemical composition of rutile is titanium oxide. Its color is usually black or red in the bulky rutile stones. On the other hand, if present as inclusion in other cystals, or if sliced in thin plates, its color is golden yellow, or brownish yellow. Such is exactly the case in the rulitated quartz. Thus, rutile via its fibrous inclusions gives the rutilated quartz a yellowish, or golden tone. There are surely many minerals which form inclusions in quartz, but rutile does this in an extraordinary way. The strands formed in the rock crystal matrix look just fantastic.
Rutilated quartz has been used for centuries as precious stone and for decoration. Due to the characteristic string like structures, this crystal belongs to the so called "Hair crystals". In the past it has been called "Angel hair stone", "Venus Hair stone" or "Cupid's darts stone".
Rutile quartz jewelry
Rutile quartz as healing stone
Rutilated quartz jewelry belongs to the group of healing stone jewelry. The healing properties of rutile quartz are derived from the end compounds.
It is a unique combination wherein the inclusions of rutile accentuate the healing properties of rock crystal. And rock crystal is probably the most powerful and most versatile healing stone of all. For dealing with depression, bad moods and loneliness, as well as for encouraging new fresh ideas and creativity, rutile quartz is an excellent choice. It is also considered a stone for reviving good luck and fortunes and changing your life for the better. Rutilated quartz promotes potency, rejects fears and phobias of all kinds, calms anxiousness, and articulates anger. It opens the aura and strengthens the self-healing. Rutilated quartz is also good for sexual stamina and dealing with sexual problems. Closely related to this is of course its ability to increase fertility.
Notable characteristics of jewelry made from rutile quartz
The two components of rutilated quart possess different hardness on the Mohs scale. The hardness of quartz is about 7 to 7.5. On the other hand rutile has hardness of 6 to 6.5. This poses no problem in the naturally grown wands and points. However, this is exactly why jewelry producers face problems when they have to shape and smooth this gemstone and make it fit various jewelry setups. Due to this, some inexpensive specimens of rutile quartz are alveolated on the surface. The more costly specimens are obtained from rutile stones which are fully encased in quartz and therefore can be properly polished.
The rutilated quart jewelry comes in many shapes and forms. The gemstones often either faceted or polished for maximal visual effect. You cannot but love those beautifully set pendant where the tear drop shaped crystals hang down exposing their golden strands. Due to their color, they combine so good with either 14k yellow gold, or 14k white gold, but you can find them also as sterling silver rutilated quartz pendants or earrings. The same rutilated quartz drops can be found in the many types of necklaces where very often you can see the golden needles through the transparent matrix of the drops giving the jewelry golden tones and contributing to the fantastic look. This type of jewelry gemstones are mixed with other type of stones very successfully, for example diamonds, lapis lazuli, amazonite, citrine, and many others. In some necklaces the density of the rutile can be so high that the drops might look as is made of bold gold. The beads can have different shapes and classic diamond pattern facets.
Rutilated quartz jewelry
Cleaning and care
Some rutile quartz gemstones are sometimes treated to improve their visual aspect or endurance. Have in mind that the jewelry with treated gemstones might need special care. Otherwise, the same cleaning and care as with rock crystal should be sufficient, that is, rinsing under runnig water and cleaning with a soft cloth.
Rutilated quartz Gemstone is one of my favorite stones and is said to attract love and bring stability in relationships.
I've always been thinking that rutile quartz jewelery is a special type, for special people. It neither fits nor looks good if the rest of the outfit is not taken into account. Thanks for this nice post.
Yes, you are right. What makes this type of jewelery special is precisely the special inner coloration and texture that the rutile needles are bringing into the bulky quartz matrix. If you are looking for a clear monochromatic gemstone, then rutilated quartz is probably not the best choice.
Some related hubs about gemstones
- Opal stones: types, properties and meaning
Opal stones are among the visually most attractive gemstones. Due to the relative rarity of some of the variations of opal and their bad reputation in the past, they are not extremely popular in the new age...
- Blue Topaz Engagement Rings
As a long term crystal lover and mineral gatherer, I always encourage people to select gemstone jewelry thinking of gemstone's healing and metaphysical properties, and not only of its visual appeal. In the...
- The metaphysical meaning of hematite
In this article I would like to talk about several important metaphysical properties of hematite. Prior to that, let us examine some of hematite's physical and chemical properties. What is the composition of...
Karen Ellis 2 years ago
This article was very helpful. I am, of late, looking into the vibrational properties of different stones.