Quartz with inclusions is very common and makes an attractive gemstone. Rutilated quartz or saginite, popularly known as Venus-hair stone, is quartz with needle-like rutile crystals. These may be red, black, or brassy-yellow, and have a metallic luster. Tourmalinated quartz has inclusions of black tourmaline. These form prismatic or needle-like crystals. It is common to cut quartz with inclusions as cameo and beads.
Opaque, metallic yellow inclusions of gold are found in specimens of gold quartz with inclusions. Inclusions of silver may also occur within quartz, often in branch-like dendrites, and are silvery grey or black, opaque, and metallic. The iron minerals, goethic and pyrite, are also found in quartz with inclusions. If cut en cabochon, quartz containing goethite may show the cat’s-eye effect.
Occurrence
Quartz with inclusions is found in Pakistan, Switzerland, Germany, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Brazil, and Madagascar.
Quartz with Inclusions Properties
- Specific Gravity: 2.65
- Refractive Index: 1.54-1.55
- Birefringence (DR): 0.009
- Luster: Vitreous
- Crystal Structure: Trigonal
- Composition: Silicon dioxide
- Hardness: 7
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