Rutilated Quartz Jewelry
Clear quartz threaded with golden needles of rutile. Also known as Venus hair stone
Unearthed Gemstones Rutilated Quartz Jewelry
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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 Rutilated Quartz?
Rutilated quartz is clear or smoky quartz threaded with needles of rutile, a titanium mineral, in shades of gold, copper, red and silver. The needles can be fine as silk or bold as straw, scattered or bundled into dramatic sprays. Old-fashioned names include Venus hair stone and Cupid's darts, which tells you people have found it romantic for a long time. In some prized pieces, the needles radiate in a star from a dark hematite core. Brazil is by far the main source of fine material.
Is Rutilated Quartz Durable Enough for Everyday Jewelry?
The quartz host gives it a hardness of 7 and no cleavage, so it wears comfortably every day, though very densely rutilated stones can be a touch more brittle at the needle boundaries. It is cut as cabochons, freeforms and faceted stones alike, always oriented to show the needles at their best. Each stone's golden weather system is unique.
How to Care for Rutilated Quartz Jewelry
Care is easy: warm, soapy water and a soft cloth.
How to Tell If Rutilated Quartz Is Real
Glass imitations exist but their needles look uniform and suspiciously tidy.
Gemstones Similar to Rutilated Quartz
Tourmalinated quartz swaps the golden rutile needles for jet-black tourmaline ones.
