crystalline quartz buying - clear quartz pendant

Crystalline Quartz Buying Guide

Although often overlooked, quartz is available in many styles at reasonable prices. Our crystalline quartz buying guide can help you pick your next piece.

5 Minute Read

Home Learning Center Jewelry and Lapidary Gem Buying GuidesCrystalline Quartz Buying Guide

By Addison Rice

In this video, Jake Talve-Goodman of The Concierge Gemologist discusses rock crystal and shows us many beautiful examples of this gemstone.

This buying guide outlines the quality factors for crystalline varieties of quartz. Cryptocrystalline varieties, such as chalcedony and jasper, aren’t included.

Crystalline Quartz Buying and the Four Cs

The IGS quartz value listing has price guidelines for smoky quartz, rose quartz, rutilated and tourmalinated quartz, quartz with lepidocrocite, star quartz, and gold in quartz. Separate value listings for amethyst and citrine contain price guidelines for these varieties.

Color

Quartz is a large family of gemstones. Not surprisingly, it occurs in many colors and varieties.

Rock Crystal

Without trace impurities, quartz is colorless. This abundant material occurs in very large sizes. Often called “rock crystal,” colorless quartz can serve as an inexpensive alternative to other colorless gemstones.

Doubly terminated rough crystals are somewhat rare. Gem enthusiasts sometimes erroneously call these gems “Herkimer diamonds.” This misnomer comes from their source, Herkimer, NY, where they occur in abundance. With high transparency, these gems sparkle when rough.

Smoky Quartz

Ranging in color from light tan to nearly black, smoky quartz can simulate imperial topaz. When faceted and set, these…

Addison Rice

A geologist, environmental engineer and Caltech graduate, Addison’s interest in the mesmerizing and beautiful results of earth’s geological processes began in her elementary school’s environmental club. When she isn’t writing about gems and minerals, Addison spends winters studying ancient climates in Iceland and summers hiking the Colorado Rockies.

View All Articles

Photo by <a href=https://www.gemsociety.org/article/crystalline-quartz-buying-guide/"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ra%27ike">Ra’ike. Licensed under <a href=https://www.gemsociety.org/article/crystalline-quartz-buying-guide/"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode">CC By-SA 3.0</a>." src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="responsive" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%"/>

Rose Quartz Value, Price, and Jewelry Information

A popular variety of colored quartz, rose quartz makes a durable jewelry stone. Although commonly cabbed and carved, more transparent...

www.iRocks.com. Used with permission." src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="responsive" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%"/>

Ametrine Value, Price, and Jewelry Information

Ametrine is a variety of quartz that displays bands of both amethyst purple and citrine yellow. These gems are typically...

The Gem Trader</a>. Used with permission." src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="responsive" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%"/>

Broken Bangle — The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature: Book Review

Is fei cui a better term for "pyroxene jade" than jadeite? Jeffery Bergman reviews Broken Bangle, a new book on...

Joel E. Arem</a>, PhD, FGA. Used with permission." src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="responsive" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%"/>

Cuprite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information

One of the rarest of all facetable gems, cut cuprites can show magnificent deep red color. However, these beautiful stones...

Photo courtesy of <a href=https://www.gemsociety.org/article/crystalline-quartz-buying-guide/"https://www.liveauctioneers.com/">liveauctioneers.com and <a href=https://www.gemsociety.org/article/crystalline-quartz-buying-guide/"https://www.liveauctioneers.com/auctioneer/1081/eros-auctions-inc/">Eros Auctions, Inc</a>." src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="responsive" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%"/>

Gemstone Radiation Treatment

Gemstone radiation is a common but little understood technique for altering colors. Learn how it works and what gems usually...

Tanzanian Corundum

Is This a Topazolite Garnet?

Nigerian Gemstones

Is This an Opal?

Never Stop Learning

When you join the IGS community, you get trusted diamond & gemstone information when you need it.

Become a Member

Get Gemology Insights

Get started with the International Gem Society’s free guide to gemstone identification. Join our weekly newsletter & get a free copy of the Gem ID Checklist!