The World of Quartz Gemstones

Natural Lemon Quartz Gemstone

Quartz is the second most common mineral on earth, making up about 12% of the Earth's crust. Only feldspar is more common. However, one shouldn't conclude from this that quartz gemstones are uninteresting. In fact the quartz family is surprisingly diverse. The fact that quartz is inexpensive just means there are more opportunities for collectors.

Natural Amethyst from GemSelect

All quartz is silicon dioxide, but this was not discovered until the early nineteenth century. Prior to that, many different forms of quartz were thought to be distinct minerals.

This is not really surprising, since there are two very different branches of the quartz family. When most people think of quartz, they think of what is known as macrocrystalline quartz, which includes rock crystal, amethyst, citrine, smoky quartz, rose quartz and tiger's eye. Macrocrystalline quartz, as the name suggests, has large crystals that can be distinguished by the naked eye. This type of quartz is mainly transparent to translucent, with a vitreous luster.

Chalcedony from GemSelect

The other type of quartz is known as cryptocrystalline quartz. It has microscopically (or submicroscopically) small crystals and is usually translucent to opaque, with a waxy to greasy or dull luster. This kind of quartz has fibrous and granular subcategories. The fibrous varieties are known as chalcedony, but this name covers a remarkable variety of stones.

Natural Onyx

In practice, the name chalcedony refers to solid colored cryptocrystalline quartz, especially of a light color. The patterned varieties tend to have their own names. The most famous of these include agate, distinguished by its bands of color; onyx, which is black and white layered chalcedony (and is usually dyed to produce a uniform black); carnelian, a yellow-orange to reddish-orange type of chalcedony, colored by iron; and chrysoprase, an apple-green variety that is colored by nickle.

Jasper Gemstone

The granular varieties include jasper and bloodstone. Jasper is typically multicolored, spotted or flamed. Especially treasured pieces form patterns that look like natural landscapes. Bloodstone, also known as heliotrope, is dark-green with flecks of red, caused by iron oxide.

The range of quartz varieties is truly impressive, with notable diversity. Agate, in particular, boasts over a dozen distinct types, highly coveted by collectors. These varieties are characterized by charming names such as eye agate, known for its ring shapes with a central point; moss agate, recognized for its moss-like patterns; and fire agate, which showcases a unique iridescence.