Rutile Quartz Gemstone Information

Introduction

The quartz family makes up the most common mineral found on Earth – I know you could argue for feldspar or even bridgmanite but I mean the part of Earth where we all live, the land part!

The sand in the desert, the granite and igneous rock in mountains, hardened lava around old volcanoes are all types of quartz but the ones we are interested in are the precious ones, amethyst, the agate, rose quartz and, perhaps most interestingly of all, Rutile or Rutilated Quartz.

Quartz gemstones come in two types.

Macro-crystalline which have large easily identified crystals and are the classic ‘crystals’ you see in the shops, usually clear with sharp edges and pointy tops.

Then we have micro-crystalline (or crypto-crystalline) which are made up of tiny densely packed crystals which are usually opaque and in rounded shapes such as jasper and bloodstone.

Rutile Quartz is a macro-crystalline quartz which is usually completely transparent but with fibrous or hair-like inclusions of titanium dioxide (that’s the ‘Rutile’ bit) in colors such as yellow, red or brown. These inclusions can be thin, thick, criss-crossed or parallel, wispy or fat and add a great deal of character and charm to the clear quartz.

The quartz itself is usually transparent but the rutile inclusions can be red, gold, orange, brown, silver, gray, or, very rarely, green in color.

The value of these colors is usually in the eye of the beholder but the bright golden yellows and the coppery reds tend to be the most popular and get the better prices.

Rutile or Rutilated Quartz itself is a variety of quartz and on rare occasions it can be referred to as:

• Venus Hair Stone
• Angel Hair Quartz
• Cupid’s Darts
• Sagenitic Quartz

If the inclusions are arranged in a particular way, the gemstone could be called:

• Star Rutile Quartz

Occasionally a Smoky Quartz has rutile inclusions inside the stone which, so long as it is not too dark, makes for a very fascinating gemstone.

The value and charm of Rutile Quartz is in the inclusions within the gemstone, so nearly all Rutile Quartz is generally transparent. Any translucent or even opaque versions would be of interest only to collectors or as curiosities.

While Rutile Quartz can make some attractive and interesting faceted gemstones, they are usually cut and polished into cabochons with flat bottoms and polished dome shaped tops.

These gemstones are available in large sizes and with their unique inclusions can be made into highly original jewelry items.

The Chakras are energy centers located around the body which each have influence on your physical and emotional well being. If one or more of these energy centers is blocked then it can lead to some serious problems.

The combination of a complex chemical make-up and the variety of colors that can appear in the inclusions with Rutile Quartz means this gemstone is one of the few that can unblock or cleanse all the Chakras.

Each Chakra is designated a color of influence and when using gemstones to unblock a Chakra the color of the gemstone usually matches the Chakra (but not always).

As it can influence all Chakras, just determine which one is blocked, then use a piece of Rutile Quartz, placed on or near the Chakra point, to do its work.

See our article on Chakra Gemstones here

Generally, Quartz is not a very expensive gemstone and even attractive and interesting Rutile Quartz comes at a very reasonable price.

Of course any examples with a very clear transparent quartz body and intriguingly shaped or brightly colored rutile inclusions will demand a slightly higher price – especially yellowy blonde or coppery red - but this is often more a matter of taste than a rule.

Quartz itself has been used either as a tool, for decoration or adornment and for spiritual purposes for thousands of years. Famous members of the family include amethyst, citrine and rose quartz all of which have been recorded as far back as Ancient Egyptian and Greek times.

Rutile Quartz as a gemstone has a more recent history. Even as recently as the 1940s and 50s clear quartz with rutile inclusions would be tossed aside by miners and sorters. It was only when gemstone collectors began to appreciate the unique looks and infinite variety found in Rutile Quartz did they gain some value.

Of course, Rutile inclusions in corundum and other minerals have been recognized for centuries as they are the cause of asterism, an optical phenomenon that creates gemstones such as star sapphires and star rubies.

The word Quartz has its origins in the German Quarz and the Polish term Kwardy meaning hard while Rutile comes from the Latin Rutilus meaning red, as the early material studied by German scientist Werner, who gave the mineral its name, was primarily that color.

See our article on Gemstone Names here

Rutile Quartz is found throughout the world with the best examples coming from Australia, Brazil, India, Madagascar, Pakistan, Russia, Spain and the USA.

Quartz is generally found in pegmatite which is a type of igneous rock formed by slowly cooled magma. Within this pegmatite cracks and gaps are filled with liquids and gases which over a long period of time crystallize into gemstones.

Various chemicals and minerals can be introduced during formation and these can affect the color of quartz – the presence of iron can create the purple in amethyst or the yellow in citrine while aluminum can produce smoky quartz.

In the case of Rutile Quartz it is thought that elements of titanium mixed with the quartz as it cooled and grew within tiny cracks in the quartz itself.

Typically, Rutile Quartz is not treated in any way to enhance its looks other than the usual cutting and polishing of the rough gemstone.

The silky hair-like inclusion within the gemstone are the selling point of this item and any heat treatment is likely to ’melt’ the rutile and spoil the look. Similarly a clear body is needed to allow the inclusions to be seen clearly so any dyeing or staining would be pointless.

At GemSelect we will always inform you if any of our gemstones have had any treatments.

All quartz is rated at about 7 on the Mohs hardness scale so Rose Quartz is durable enough to be used in all types of jewelry. The rutile material within the stone is rated at about 6 on the scale but is usually safely protected by the quartz.

See our detailed article on the Mohs hardness scale here

In addition, it is readily available in large carat sizes at very reasonable prices so it is ideal for experimental pieces for jewelry making beginners who are looking to create their own jewelry.

See our article on Jewelry Making Beginners here

Each Rutile Quartz gemstone is unique, you really cannot find an identically matching pair, so they are perfect for artisanal jewelry makers looking to create eye-catching one-off pieces.

Just clean your Rutile Quartz with warm soapy water and gently wipe dry and that should be enough to keep it looking its best.

For storage, remember that Rutile Quartz is quite a tough gemstone (rated at over 7 on the Mohs hardness scale) so do not keep in with other gemstones that may be softer as it may scratch them.

Similarly a few gemstones such as ruby, sapphire, beryl and so on are a bit harder and may damage your Rutile Quartz.

We always suggest putting your gemstones in separate boxes or soft cloth bags when not wearing or displaying them.

For industrial uses, clear quartz has been created in the laboratory for a number of years with such precision that it is impossible to tell the difference between synthetic quartz and real quartz.

Rutile, the material which causes the silky threads inside the quartz, can also be made in a lab – it was even used as a substitute for diamonds a while back.

Despite this evidence of the work of scientists it is unlikely that you will come across any artificial or fake Rutile Quartz. It would be a awful lot of hard work for minimal return.

We have a couple of simple tips when buying this gemstone.

Before buying a Rutile Quartz gemstone, familiarize yourself with its appearance, either in pictures or in a gem store. Research the colors of the rutile material and its shapes and forms.

Quartz is rated at 7 on Mohs hardness scale so it will be tougher that glass so test a sample by scratching a bottle. Alternately, an iron nail or a key should not be strong enough to scratch the surface of your quartz.

See our detailed article on the Mohs hardness scale here

Be guided by the price. Rutile Quartz is an inexpensive gemstone but it is still a beautiful object extracted from the ground, sorted, cut, polished and transported around the world. If the sample you see is too good a price to be true – it probably isn’t true!

The best way to buy any gemstone is through a trusted shop or well-established online business.

This has not been a comprehensive guide on how to make sure your Rutile Quartz gemstone is completely genuine but I hope it helps a little.

At GemSelect, we currently offer brief identification reports from your choice of three well-respected independent gemological laboratories, American International GemLab (AIG), International Colored Gemstone Association Laboratory (ICA GemLab) and Burapha Gemological Laboratory (BGL Lab).

Certain gemstones show a distinct or dramatic change in color depending on the light source. This is a very rare occurrence and Rutile Quartz is NOT one of the few gemstones that show this phenomenon.

It most gemstones, any inclusions or foreign bodies inside the body, are thought of as a negative. Cutters will spend hours removing them or they will be melted away with intense heat.

This is not the case with Rutile Quartz where the needle- or hair-like inclusions are the stars of the show. Every Rutile Quartz gemstone is unique, the colors can be yellow or red, gold, silver or copper, gray or even green.

The appearance of the inclusions can be like curly, frizzy or straight hair, light or dark colored straw, forming crosses or stars, parallel or diagonal, packed full or sparsely spaced, the assortment is endless.

What was once cast aside as worthless can now be seen in the trendiest of jewelers and on the hands and bodies of the top influencers.

Holding one of the fascinating gemstones it is easy to see why they are becoming so popular in a world where people are searching for something out of the ordinary and to stand out from the crowd – Rutile Quartz sure fits the bill.