Rutilated vs Tourmalinated what's the difference?
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Original Post
I'm thinking mainly of black rutilated quartz which I really love.
I see a lot of the same thing called two different names, does tourmalinated actually conatain rutiles of black tourmaline is that the same as black rutilated quartz, or is that something different, how do you tell it apart, is there a correct term?..so many questions.
Can anybody help?
Posted at 5:01pm Aug 9, 2009 EDT
Responses
Rutile is a mineral, similar to tourmaline; both grow in long, needle-like crystals.
Rutilated quartz is quartz with crystals of rutile, tourmalinated quartz is quartz with crystals of tourmaline.
Rutile is a golden brown color, tourmaline tends to be black (in quartz; it can be many shades of pink and green and gold as well)
Posted at 5:07pm Aug 9, 2009 EDT
So if the rutiles are black then it is tourmalinated?
and golden, green or red rutilated quartz is really tourmalinated?
I didn't realise rutile was a mineral, I thought it was just a name for the needle like formations..it is all very interesting
Posted at 5:14pm Aug 9, 2009 EDT
Golden is probably rutile. I've never seen tourmalinated quartz that was anything but black, though free tourmaline can be lots of different colors.
Posted at 5:20pm Aug 9, 2009 EDT
Google image searches actually illustrate this nicely.
Rutilated quartz: tinyurl.com/l7d8cw
rutile: tinyurl.com/ljb58t
toumalinated quartz: tinyurl.com/m57rr5
tourmaline: tinyurl.com/noklen
Posted at 5:22pm Aug 9, 2009 EDT
Yes, thanks, I think I misread your other post. Tourmaline is around in an amazing range of colours.
Thank you for your help Helix, this one had been puzzling me for a while, I didn't know if it was a language thing or simply another term.
Posted at 5:23pm Aug 9, 2009 EDT
This is an awesome post. They are often mistaken and it's nice to see clarification posted :D
Posted at 5:24pm Aug 9, 2009 EDT
I think I learned the difference in a mineralogy class, back when I was majoring in geology.
You're not alone in your confusion.
Posted at 5:24pm Aug 9, 2009 EDT
Helix has the right of it :) Excellent examples, too.
MmeMagpie, Gemologist
Posted at 5:29pm Aug 9, 2009 EDT
Okay, how about "moss" amethyst and aquamarine? They're my current favorite stones, but what's in there, and what makes it moss instead of rutilated? flecks as well as lines?
Posted at 5:31pm Aug 9, 2009 EDT