The Quartz Family of Gemstones, and What You Need to Know

It's said "diamonds are a girl's best friend". Whoever coined that phrase didn't realize that women love all gemstones, especially those that are colored. Most people don't realize that a lot of the common colored gemstones available today are actually quartz. Let's start with amethyst.

Amethyst can range in color from a pale violet to a deep, dark purple. It is the most valued of the quartz family and has a Mohn's hardness rating of 7. The name amethyst means "not drunken" in Greek and was worn as an amulet against drunkenness. Amethyst is found in geodes and the most important deposits are in Brazil. It can also be found in India, Africa, Canada, Mexico and the United States (Arizona). The best stones are faceted, but amethyst can be tumbled and worked into bracelets, necklaces and ornaments. It is February's birthstone and is said to heal headaches and pancreatic diseases. The most highly prized amethyst is the deep, dark, rich purple color.

Citrine can range from a light yellow to a dark golden brown. The coloring agent in citrine is actually iron. Natural citrines are very rare and mostly a pale yellow color. Heat treated citrines have a reddish hint. Sometimes citrines are called Madeira colored or Madeira citrines because of the rich color, but it's actually the locality name where it's mined. Deposits are found in Brazil, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Argentina and the United States. Like amethyst, the most attractive citrine is faceted and the rest is made into necklaces, bracelets and ornaments. Citrine is the zodiac stone of Virgo and is said to heal diseases of the pancreas and sciatica.

Prasiolite is rather new to retail sales. It's also referred to as green amethyst. It comes from the Greek word "leek" and it is not found in nature. Prasiolite is produced by heating violet amethyst or yellowish quartz to about 930 degrees Fahrenheit. In sunlight the green color commonly fades, but only temporarily.

Ametrine is a beautiful gemstone that is mined in Brazil and Bolivia. It's what happens when amethyst and citrine grow together in the geode. As a result you get a gemstone that is one half purple and one half yellow. The most highly prized ametrines have a 50/50 split, but can be found 60/40 or even 70/30 in the jewelry produced today.

Some of the other quartz varieties used in jewelry today are: Rose Quartz, Aventurine, Tiger's Eye, Chalcedony, Carnelian and Agate. Most of these varieties are made into polished cabochons, bead necklaces and ornamental pieces. Their value is less than the faceted gemstones, but they are still collected for their beauty and opulence. You'll find many of these quartz varieties are zodiac stones and have unique healing properties.

Quartz isn't just that species of rock you learned in grade school science. Today it's a highly regarded gemstone used in jewelry and ornaments and collected by people around the world.