Rutilated Quartz Collier #37

I have always been drawn to brutalism. That architectural philosophy that refuses to hide its structure, that celebrates mass and material and process rather than concealing them. This piece is that — a brutalist object that happens to be worn around the neck.

The stone is a large Brazilian rutilated quartz. Rutile, a mineral composed of titanium dioxide, forms first in hollow spaces within rock. Later, scorching hot, silica-rich fluid seeps in, crystallizing into quartz around those delicate rutile needles, preserving them for eternity. The result is a crystal containing another mineral entirely — frozen inside it, suspended in time, visible through the quartz like light through glass. These inclusions can appear golden, silver, copper red, or black — the color determined by the mineral composition and the iron oxide content within the rutile. This particular specimen carries titanium dioxide rutilation — silver-grey threads running through smoky Brazilian quartz, catching light like frozen electricity.

The setting is where this piece becomes something else entirely. I galvanized it — a process of electroplating non-conductive surfaces that is technically demanding and, in this case, gloriously unpredictable. I plated it with copper first, then palladium, then 24 carat gold. And then the electricity and the metals did exactly what they wanted. The result was a surprise — expressionistic, raw, uneven in the most beautiful way. Every mark of the process is visible. Nothing is hidden. This is the piece showing you exactly how it was made.

That is brutalism. That is the point.

The chain is a vintage 1980s costume jewelry chain found during my travels in California — substantial, double-linked, with the particular silver-gold tone of that era's jewelry. It has lived another life before this one. Now it carries this.

Rutilated quartz works with all chakras — it is considered one of the most powerful amplifiers in the mineral world, accelerating intentions, cutting through confusion, and illuminating what is already within you. At 345 grams, this piece does not whisper. It speaks.

MATERIALS & DIMENSIONS

• Brazilian rutilated quartz with titanium dioxide rutilation
• Copper, palladium and 24K gold electroplating
• Hand-sculpted setting
• Vintage 1980s California costume jewelry chain and clasp
• Weight: 345 g / 12.08 oz
• Pendant: 9.5 cm / 3.71 in wide, 6.5 cm / 2.54 in tall
• Chain length: 50 cm / 19.50 in — pendant drop 29.5 cm / 11.51 in

One of a kind. Made once. Yours alone.