Buying Smokey Quartz Jewelry

As with other clear gemstones, color, cut and clarity are ways to describe the qualities of smokey quartz.

Although naturally-occurring smokey quartz is quite abundant, artificial, "lab-grown" varieties are also produced.

Color

The color of the smoky quartz can be artificially enhanced through irradiation. Artificially enhanced smokey quartz usually appears to be almost "too dark" - close to black rather than the typical "smokey" shades of brown and gray. Natural quartz will show slight variations in color throughout - most noticeable in larger gemstones.

Clarity

As with diamonds, generally the clearer the gem (the fewer inclusions) the more desirable it is. It's much easier to find inclusion-free gem stones or ones with fewer and smaller inclusions at the smaller carat sizes.

An exception to the rule is Rutilated Smokey Quartz - a form of the mineral with thin, hairlike or needle-like reddish gold inclusions which actually Titanium Dioxide. Commonly called Venus Hair, this is considered by some to be a very attractive and desirable "flaw" in the stone. There isn't much jewelry made from this variety.as the rutile makes the stone difficult to work, but many mineral shops sell crystals or smooth nuggets of rutilated smokey quartz.

Gemstone Cuts

Smokey Quartz tends to form in large crystals, making it ideal for cutting into big, showy gems.

The most common cuts for smoky quartz are the square shapes, such as the Princess Cut and the Emerald Cut. The Emerald cut is a rectangle with cut corners. It is known as a "step cut" because the facets on the sides are broad and resemble stair steps. The large, flat surface showcases the beauty of a high-quality stone.

Relatively new, the Princess cut is kind of like a square version of the popular round Brilliant cut and has a similar sparkle.

Smokey Quartz can also be cut into briolettes. Briolettes are gems which are faceted on all sides. This cut was first popularized in the 1800's, and has recently been making a comeback. It is especially suitable for drop earrings, pendants and beads.

Stones that are not top quality are often tumbled into smooth nuggets and used as beads or in nature-inspired jewelry - pendants, necklaces, rings or earrings.