Dendritic Agate

We just got in a beautiful specimen of dendritic agate and are fascinated with the look of the gemstone. Its a clear type of quartz with fern-like tendrils of black and rust orange that make it look like an eastern style painting. Its just over 26 carats and would make a great conversation piece of jewelry, if we could find some time and a good direction to take it. Dendritic agate is a type of quartz.

Varieties of Quartz

Quartz comes in many types used for jewelry making. Many of the most popular types go by a different name, lending confusion to the buying process for many people. The second most abundant mineral on earth, quartz is one of the more affordable gem options, and it remains popular in silver and gold applications. Faceted, it makes a brilliant stone in many different colors. We use quite a bit of quartz for our jewelry, and appreciate it for its hardness, vibrant color (or lack thereof), and affordability. Following are some of the varieties that you commonly come accross:

Amethyst: This is the beautiful violet quartz that comes in many different shades. Amethyst is the birthstone of February. The most valueable amethyst is deep Siberian or deep Russian, and has a deep purple with red hues. Amethyst used to be as valueable as rubies or sapphires but large finds have dropped the price to what it is today. Green quartz is often called green amethyst.

Citrine: The November birthstone citrine ranges in color from clear yellow to reddish brown. They occur in nature but are most often heat treated amethyst. Often mistaken for the more expensive pure topaz, the citrine offers a more affordable option for a beautiful yellow or orange faceted gem.

Carnelian: Translucent reddish brown quartz with a slightly softer composition. Beautiful with light shining through it to highlight the deep color.

Onyx: Onyx is a type of agate that comes in many different colors, often with different color bands running through. Usually polished and formed into smooth cabochons to show off the various colors.

Smokey Quartz: Can be yellowish, but usually brown to black.

In addition to the above varieties, included in the quartz family are the agate, aventurine, and others that we'll save for another time. The most common stones we use here are the amethyst, green amethyst, and the citrine, though others make an appearance when the mood strikes and we find good specimens. We just got in a dendritic agate that looks like a traditional Asian painting. A clear stone with rusty spots, white, and black “trees.” We love the variety available to us with quartz.

Australian Opals

We have lots of Australian opal jewelry at the store, and we love the range of color it displays. Its a very special stone that can display any color in the spectrum. Here we favor enjoy using it all, and carefully choose which stone will look best set in the piece its going on.

Opal is found in many places, including the United States, but 90% of the supply comes from Australia. Of that 2% is boulder opal, making it the most prized and expensive. The pendant above, below is an example of boulder opal. We have two pendants in stock using boulder each with a nice weight and depth that is different then the shiny iridescent varieties you normally encounter.

The bright, shiny pieces of opal in most jewelry are thin sheets that have been overlayed on top of potch opal or another material. This achieves that bright iridescence you commonly see at an affordable price. Currently most of our inventory consists of overlayed opal jewelry, and they really capture attention. Its tough to capture the layers of color in a picture, but the example at the top is an overlayed piece we currently stock.

When choosing opal and opal jewelry you want to look for depth of color. Flashes of red that seem to dance underneath the surface would be an example. The best specimens can be light or dark, but they will all have a depth of color to them that sets them apart. We hope you enjoy opal in all its forms and find some room in your collection for this beautiful stone.