Rutilated Quartz Flame Sculpture - Unique #2

Rutilated quartz is a variety of quartz which contains needle-like inclusions of rutile. These inclusions mostly look golden, but they also can look silver, copper red or deep black. Rutile is a major ore of titanium, which is a metal used for high tech alloys.

Rutilated quartz has been used as gemstones and other ornamental and religious objects for thousands of years. Ancient Greeks called rutile strands “the hair of Venus” or “the hair of Aphrodite” in honor of their goddess of beauty and love for its golden-colored rutile inclusions. Also being referred to as Star Rutile (inclusions that each extend forming a star shape), hair of the angels, Cupid’s darts, and Fleches d’amour.

During the Middle Ages, Vikings believed rutile came from Freyja, their “lady sovereign”. Freyja is one of the central goddesses in Norse mythology. She’s similar to Venus in her affiliation with beauty, love, and the finer things in life.

In Japan, quartz is an ancient symbol of the white dragon’s breath, a creature they see as the epitome of kindness. Other cultures, like ancient Egyptians and native South Americans, believed quartz was a conduit to the spiritual and ethereal realms.

In folklore this stone brings forth ones strengths, originality, enhance creativity, relieve depression and loneliness, aids sleep, and to enhance one’s understanding of difficult situations.