Inside of a Rutilated Quartz
18th October 2019
What is Rutile ?
Rutile comes from Latin Rutilus meaning “Reddish”. Rutile is a mineral composed of titanium dioxide, TiO2, that has a metallic luster and a hardness of 6 on Mohs scale. It is generally found in volcanic areas and specifically linked to quartz sources. This mineral has the ability to grow inside of quartz in the form of needles which can create impressive patterns. These internal fibers are most of the time orange to red, brown, gold, eventually black, and can be dense, sparse, thick, parallel or crossing. This phenomenon determines the unicity and value of the quartz, indeed, the rutilated quartz is one of the only gemstones appreciated for its inclusions.
Furthermore, the rutile presence in some gemstones also creates the interesting effects of chatoyancy and asterism, just like for star sapphires.
3 Rutilated Quartz
What is Quartz ?
Quartz is a very common mineral on Earth and is composed of silicon and oxygen. It is a mineral family that gathers many gems species such as chalcedony, onyx, amethyst and agate. It has a hardness of 7 and can be found in abundance on all continents, this is why it is usually an affordable stone.
So what about Rutilated Quartz ?
Rutilated quartz mostly takes the appearance of a translucent to transparent stone with a pale body color such as beige, yellow, pink or light green. It is mainly found in Australia, Brazil, Madagascar, India and Pakistan. Because of the hardness rate difference between Quartz and Rutile, cutting and polishing the stone can be a delicate action as it can cause cracks.
In a more spiritual frame, rutilated quartz is supposed to prevent from negative energies, sooth emotional pain and relieve anxiety and tensions. If you’re a believer, it is very linked to the chakra, the wearer should hold the stone in his hands to activate its power.
4 Cabochon Cut Rutilated Quartz with grey, green, golden and bronze needles.
Rutilated quartz is very little present in jewellery at the moment, only a few designers integrated the stone in some creations.
Chan Wallace, a very avant-garde jeweller that is famous for its “unbreakable porcelain”, has created the below intriguing Secret Abyss necklace. Made of titanium, it features an impressive 211.74 cts rutilated quartz, surrounded by emeralds, amethysts and yellow diamonds.
Mousson Atelier, a Russian jewellery brand, also got inspired by this stone and plays around it with extravagant gold structures and mountings that recreate the rutile needles movements.
The Italian jeweller, SCAVIA, presented this modern ring with a major rutilated quartz cabochon, supporting a diamonds pavé.
Rutilated Quartz used in jewellery. Legends on pictures.
Cartier is a pioneer in the use of rutilated quartz in high jewellery and integrate it in many creations of the 2019 Magnitude collection. Indeed, it is a very daring choice to associate this stone with precious gems such as sapphire and disrupt the rules of the prestigious high jewellery world. Cartier stands out and is distinctive from its competitors, showing off its originality and taste for new creativity combinations. The French jeweller is selecting rutilated quartz based on the beauty of the patterns that create the inclusions, the movement and directions of the needles. The iconic brand uses different rutilated quartz presenting the stone in various ways and enhancing the beauty of the surrounding gems.
Magnitude Collection, 2019, Cartier . Legends on pictures.