Quartz Gemstones in Jewelry
by Lisa Vella
If you’re a gemstone jewelry connoisseur, there’s a pretty good likelihood that you have quartz, the world’s fourth most scratchproof mineral, sitting in your jewelry box. The fact that it’s so durable makes it an ideal gemstone for everyday wear, and can be found in everything from watches, to earrings, to necklaces, rings and more.
Where is it found?
Quartz is the most common mineral on earth, and is easily found in almost any geographical location in the world. Because it’s so durable, it is the most prominent mineral of mountaintops as well as beaches, rivers, and even desert sand. Its prominence in nature and the fact that it’s so easily created by man, make it likely that it will be around forever.
What are the uses for quartz?
Quartz is invaluable even far beyond that of its use in gemstone jewelry. Its piezoelectric properties, a form of electrical energy created when applied with mechanical pressure, make it ideal for pressure gauges, oscillators, and wave stabilizers. Computers, cell phones, electronic games and many other electronic devices run because of its presence.
Quartz also has qualities that make it perfect for use in heat-ray lamps, prisms and spectrographic lenses. In addition, it may come as a surprise that when in a near pure silica form, it’s included in mild abrasives like soaps, toothpaste, jewelry cleaners, and buffing compounds. Caulk, paint, plastics and rubber also have it as a common ingredient.
How does it get its color?
Quartz that is clear is known as mountain or rock crystal. However, it’s often marked by impurities that create unique colors and common variations. For example, purple quartz is known as amethyst, yellow to orange is citrine, pink is rose quartz, and black is smoky quartz. All of these can be very affordable yet striking when used as gemstone beaded jewelry.
Folklore associated with quartz
Because there are so many lovely varieties of quartz, and it’s been around forever, there are many legends associated with it.
Amethyst was thought to control passionate emotions, keep evil thoughts in check, create quick thinking, and help a business man make good decisions. Wine sipped from an amethyst cup was thought not to be intoxicating.
The darts of Cupid’s arrows were considered to be made of onyx, a cryptocrystalline variety of quartz. Naturally, in some cultures onyx is also know to be symbolic of conjugal love. Conversely, some people say it only promotes conflict between lovers, and in India it’s even worn as a necklace to cool love’s passion.
Whatever beliefs are associated with quartz, it cannot be denied for its incredibly useful purposes in this world. Yet without a doubt, long before electronic gadgets, toothpaste and the like were even though of, quartz in its many forms has been worn as adornment to the body and is every bit as stunning as it is practical.
Tags: gemstone jewelry, quartz jewelry, quartz gemstones, amethyst jewelry, amethyst beaded jewelry, rose quartz jewelry, rose quartz beaded jewelry, gemstone beaded jewelry, jewelry gemstones, gemstones in jewelry, citrine quartz, ametrine quartz