Tourmalinated Quartz Jewelry
Clear quartz shot through with needles of jet-black tourmaline
Unearthed Gemstones Tourmalinated Quartz 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 Tourmalinated Quartz?
Tourmalinated quartz is clear rock crystal shot through with needles of jet-black schorl tourmaline, like ink strokes frozen in ice. The two minerals grew together, with the tourmaline crystallising first and the quartz sealing it inside. The result is high contrast and completely natural graphic drama, and because the needles grew randomly, every stone has its own composition. Brazil produces most of the world's supply, with more from Madagascar and elsewhere.
Is Tourmalinated Quartz Durable Enough for Everyday Jewelry?
The quartz host means a hardness of 7 and no cleavage, so it wears happily every day in rings, pendants and beads, though stones crammed with needles can be slightly more prone to chipping along them. It is cut faceted, as cabochons and as freeform slices, with cutters choosing windows that show the boldest strokes.
How to Care for Tourmalinated Quartz Jewelry
Care is easy: warm, soapy water and a soft cloth.
How to Tell If Tourmalinated Quartz Is Real
Its black-on-clear look is distinctive enough that imitations are rare, and resin fakes feel warm and light in the hand.
Gemstones Similar to Tourmalinated Quartz
Its black needles are genuine tourmaline; rutilated quartz is the same idea in gold.
