Quartz in Beautiful Transparent Colors

    Quartz is named for "hard" - on the Mohs' hardness scale - it is a 7 and a transparent gemstone. They can include Amethyst, Aventurine, Citrine, Prasiolite, Smoky Quartz, Rose Quartz, as well as Tiger's Eye and Hawk's Eye which are opaque stones. Most Quartz is heat-treated Amethysts or Smoky Quartz for their varied tones and colors.  

    Quartz being a transparent stone can be confused with tinted glass.  After having gotten burnt once or twice with glass strands of beads instead of smoky quartz gemstone bead strands for making my jewelry.  I took it as a learning experience to pass onto my customers and bought a Presidium Gem Tester.  It is a handheld machine that can test gemstones as well as tell you if it is made from glass.  I also learned that the inside of a stone bead will be dull, not having been polished.  Inside a glass bead is still shiny, just like the outside - glass doesn't need polishing to make it shine.  So, when purchasing lovely Quartz jewelry make sure it is the real gemstone. Quartz makes some of the most beautiful genuine gemstone jewelry available, so enjoy.