Featured in its palest form in our intricate Giselle Ring amongst other statement jewellery pieces, green quartz is one of our most stunning yet underrated stones. As you’ll discover in the following guide, however, there’s a lot to love and a lot to learn about this eye-catching gem.

Read on to find out more about the attributes that make green quartz the magnificent gemstone it is and the hidden meanings that ensure a balancing, healing and creativity-inducing addition to any jewellery collection.

What exactly is green quartz?

A member of the quartz family, green quartz (or prasiolite as it’s formally known) is one of the rarest and most beautiful green gemstones found in nature.

The gem is made from silicon dioxide minerals that have crystallised in fibrous formations. Its green colouring comes from inclusions of iron, resulting in stones that vary in shade and depth from a translucent or paler green to a deep, dark emerald colour.

Where does green quartz come from?

In comparison to other gemstones, green quartz doesn’t have a particularly long history. The roots of natural green quartz gems can be traced back to 1884 when it was discovered in mines across several countries, including Poland, India, Russia, China and Australia.

Green quartz has been mined ever since, with the biggest quantities sourced from a single, small-scale mine in Brazil.

How rare is green quartz?

Whether it’s advertised as green quartz, evergreen, prasiolite, green amethyst or lime citrine, it’s important to note that natural green quartz is very rare. Gemstonist explains more about how many stones advertised as green quartz are created:

“Naturally, the stone is so rare. Some of those that you see in stores were actually heat-treated amethyst. To do this, the amethyst gemstone is heated up to 500 degrees Celsius in a lab until its color changes from purple to green or yellow-green. The amethyst that is used in forming green quartz often comes from Poland and Brazil.”

What makes green quartz so special?

In addition to its beautifully unique colouring, green quartz is a particularly hard-wearing gemstone with a rating of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs Scale. Its strength makes it capable of scratching hard surfaces, including metals, whilst its colour can be made more vivid via heat treatment.

In terms of its metaphysical properties, green quartz is well known for its healing capabilities. The stone is thought to ease digestive problems and nausea, boost immunity, and offer deep, whole body cleansing. Green quartz is also believed to turn negative energy into positivity, enhance emotional health, and increase prosperity as well as help its wearers clear their minds and recall long-lost memories.

Whatever your beliefs, green quartz is a truly spectacular piece to wear either every day or on occasion. With this, it’s a popular gem in fine jewellery collections like ours. Here at Dainty London, we use green quartz to craft some of our most show-stopping pieces including our Giselle Earrings, Large Gold Giselle Necklace and Luna Ring.

Explore our full range of green quartz gemstone jewellery here.