Rutilated Quartz

Rutilated quartz is a variety of quartz which contains inclusions of rutile. These needle-like inclusions are usually gold in color, but they can look silver, copper, green or red. They can sometimes arrange in a radial pattern or even appear to be in the shape of a star. The can be so dense that they make the quartz nearly opaque. This stone is valued for the quality and beauty of the inclusions unlike other crystals that are reduced in value when they contain inclusions.

Rutilated quartz may be cut into large faceted or cabochon gemstones. It makes pretty beads and also may be carved into large ornamental shapes. The largest piece we've ever seen was hanging in the entrance to the GIA in Carlsbad, California. The large crystal was unearthed from Bahia, Brazil in 1987  and weighed 800 pounds! The overall height of the finished piece is 4 feet, 7 inches, and it took 7 1/2 years to create! The artists who carved it were Glenn Lehrer and Lawrence Stoller and they named their finished piece, Bahia.

• Spiritual: faraway feeling
• Soul: frees from a feeling of suffocation and lends a feeling of being faraway and of freedom
• Mind: helps develop new life concepts and face the future with optimism
• Body: helps with allergies, asthma, breathing and heart problems