Lodolite Jewelry
Also known as garden quartz. Clear quartz holding tiny landscapes of natural mineral inclusions
Unearthed Gemstones Lodolite Jewelry
Click the photos for a closer look of the jewelry pieces
Hardness
7 (Durable): Great for daily wear.
Toughness
Good (Generally resistant to chipping under normal wear)
Mineral Family
Quartz
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Crystal System
Trigonal
Lustre
Vitreous
What Is Lodolite?
Lodolite, often sold as garden quartz or scenic quartz, is clear quartz that grew around colourful inclusions of chlorite, hematite, feldspar and other minerals. The result looks like a tiny landscape sealed in glass: mossy green hills, orange clouds, drifting sand. Each stone captures the exact minerals that happened to be present as the crystal grew, so no two scenes are ever repeated. Nearly all of it comes from Brazil, particularly Minas Gerais, one of the world's great quartz regions.
Is Lodolite Durable Enough for Everyday Jewelry?
Because the host is ordinary quartz, lodolite has a hardness of 7 and no cleavage, making it dependable for everyday pendants, rings and beads. It is usually cut in smooth, domed shapes, spheres or gentle freeforms, since a clean polished window is what lets you gaze into the scene.
How to Care for Lodolite Jewelry
Care is simple: warm, soapy water and a soft cloth.
How to Tell If Lodolite Is Real
When buying, just check the inclusions look layered and three-dimensional inside the stone, not painted on the back like some glass imitations.
Gemstones Similar to Lodolite
Other quartz and chalcedony with interesting natural inclusions.
