Amazing Quartz

Quartz is a huge family of minerals with the same chemical composition and similar properties. It makes up 12% of the earth's crust.

There are two major branches of the quartz family:

1. Macro-crystalline - crystals visible to the naked eye. This branch includes amethyst, citrine, rose quartz, smoky quartz and rutilated quartz.
2. Micro- or crypto-crystalline - crystals too small to be seen without magnification. This branch is more commonly known as chalcedony (kal-SEH-doh-nee) and includes agate, jasper, carnelian, chrysoprase, onyx and petrified wood.

Amethyst Cross Pendant

Fired Jasper Necklace

In broad terms, chalcedony can be semi-transparent, translucent, solid, or patterned. The most common forms of chalcedony are agate and jasper.

• Jasper tends to be opaque with irregular and less defined markings. It is composed of microscopic grains of crystalline quartz.
• Agate is usually translucent and has clearly defined bands. It is composed of microscopic fibers of crystalline quartz.

However, in the gem and jewelry trade when someone refers to chalcedony, they are usually talking about a semi-transparent or translucent stone with a solid color (most often soft blue) with a waxy luster. This type of chalcedony can also be white, purple, pink, yellow or red but not orange-red which is referred to as carnelian.

I enjoy making jewelry with all types of quartz from clear rock crystal quartz to the astonishingly colored and patterned jaspers and agates. A few of my current favorites are:

Rock Crystal Quartz - the crystal-clear variety of macro-crystalline quartz. It is considered the ideal of macro-crystalline quartz.

Fired Agate - this agate, a micro-crystalline quartz, is heated to give it a crackled appearance.

Green Zebra Jasper - as its name implies this jasper, also a micro-crystalline quartz, is striped in green and white.

Rose Quartz - the soft pink variety of macro-crystalline quartz. It is one of the most desired varieties of macro-crystalline quartz.

Rock Crystal Quartz & Onyx Pendant

Visit Jewelry Facets to learn more about all the branches of the quartz family as well as a wide variety of other gems and gemstones.