QUARTZ with "Inclusions"

Pieces of 'Clear Quartz' with inclusions can be a facinating study. I am not about to attempt to list or go into the many types of inclusions that can occur in Quartz, because for each one I mention, someone will be able to name a dozen more. For the purpose of this article we will talk about 'Rutilated Quartz', 'Dendritic Quartz' and 'Tourmalinated Quartz'. I will also present some pictures I have been provided of some other interesting included Quartz pieces.
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A piece of clear crystal Quartz known as a Sceptor.

Dendritic Quartz. The stains are found in microscopic fissures that cause them to branch out like tree limbs or fern like inclusions. Of course in nature no two things are alike, making each gem one of a kind. Like most of the included quartz, the primary sources of Dendritic Quartz are Brazil and Africa, but some have been found in the western United Satates and Arkansas.

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Rutilated Quartz. Rutile is a major ore of titanium, which is a metal used for high tech alloys. It often forms needle-like crystal inclusions inside the Quartz crystal. This form of quartz looks like small bars of imbedded gold. Rutile is a 6 on the Mohs scale whereas Quartz is a 7. Because of the difference in hardness between the two materials and because of the way rutile forms inside, this can be a difficult stone to attain a smooth surface without pits. Most Rutilated Quartz is found is Brazil, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Madagascae, Brazil and several locations in the United States.

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Tourmalinated Quartz. As pointed out many minerals may be found as inclusions in quartz. When Tourmaline is found within quartz, the quartz is known as "tourmalinated". Most of this variety of Quartz is found in Brazil but large pockets have also been found in California.

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Here are some pictures of some other types of included Quartz.

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Quartz with included Pyrite........ Quartz with included Gilalite

Quartz with included Lepidocrocite and Hematite

Lodolite is a term used for a varity of Quartz with included minerals from Minas Gerais, Brazil. The colorations and patterns come from three main types of minerals, Chlorite, Iron, and Calcite.

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Some new Lapidary SLABS !

Some new finds in the way of rough lapidary materials. Hopefully they can be cut and polished to make interesting pendants and or pendant and earring sets.

Crystal Quartz from Arkansas---------Malachite from Arizona

Burrow Creek Agate from Arizona-----Tourtoise Shell Agate from Oregon

Polyhedroid Agate from Brazil

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NEW ITEMS for WINDFEST 2009

Windfest 2009 ---- taking place within TAKAS PARK, Windcreast, Texas ---- 18 April 2009 from 10am until 3pm.

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In addition to some new jewelry sets for Spring and especially Mother's Day, there will also be some lapidary, specimen items and faceted gemstones.

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TURQUOISE - OPALS - CHRYSOPRASE

One thing that is essential in the markets today is that one finds a good supplier, an honest supplier, a supplier who can get the unusual, and a supplier with whom one can become friends with. With these objectives all in place, it is fairly easy to obtain some of the unusual and hard to find gemstones to be able to be creative in ones jewelry making. It has also become a necessity that one be able to make some of ones own items, to get the size and style desired. To this end, it is great when one can find Kingman Turquoise, Australian Opal, Peruvian Pink Opal and California Green Chrysoprase available in sizes large enough that will make interesting pendants and beads.
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Not all Kingman AZ Turquoise is blue, each vein can be a bit different.
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Crystal Opals from the Australian Outback.
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Peruvian Pink Opals from the Andes Range.
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Green Crystal Chrysoprase from the California Coast.
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NO - Opals are not Organic Gemstones

Despite some e-mails telling me I left Opals out of the Orgainic Gemstone write-up, I must content Opals are not Organic.

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The Opal has been a popular gem for many centuries and has a very interesting structure. Opal is considered a mineraloid because this structure is not truly crystalline. The chemistry of Opal is primarily SiO2 and varying amounts of water. The amount of water varies from 5 -10% and greater. This water can help geologists determine the temperature of the host rock at the time the opal formed.

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Although there is no crystal structure, (meaning a regular arrangement of atoms) opal does possess a structure nonetheless. Random chains of silicon and oxygen are packed into extraordinarily tiny spheres. These spheres in most Opals are irregular in size and inconsistent in concentration. Yet in Precious Opal, the variety used most often in jewelry, there are many organized pockets of the spheres. These pockets contain spheres of approximately equal size and have a regular concentration, or structure, of the spheres. This has the effect of diffracting light at various wavelengths, creating colors. Each pocket produces a different color and with a different intensity, depending on the angle from which a viewer sees it. The multicolored flashes of light that Opal emits gives it a truly beautiful and valuable look. This effect is called a "play of light", and not "opalescence". The latter term describes the milky nature of the translucence of opal, and is more properly compared to the appearance of water to which a few drops of milk have been added.

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Please check my write-up from 10/07/2008 for more about Opals, especially Australian Opals.

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Thanks to Galleries.com for additional information on the Opal characteristics.

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