Rutilated quartz beads are quartz that has inclusions of the mineral rutile. (An inclusion is a foreign material that’s enclosed in the natural “host” mineral, in this case, quartz.) Rutile is a transparent mineral with a nearly metallic luster. Usually, these rutile crystals look like fine needles or threads. The word rutile comes from the Latin rutilus, which means red. Rutilated quartz is also known as sagenite, Venus-hair stone, Cupid’s darts, and Fleches d’amour, which translates as “love arrows,” and refers specifically to rutilated quartz with sparkling, hair-fine, rutile crystals.
Rutilated quartz forms in quartz veins. The rutile is present before the quartz actually crystallizes, and these fine needles tend to cross the entire quartz crystal. It often occurs in smoky quartz.
Although rutilated quartz has been used in jewelry and religious objects for thousands of years, there is not much lore about it. However, two of the names for this stone connect it with Venus and Cupid, which suggests that it might have been used to attract love.

Rutilated or rutile quartz beads Astrology: Connected with Capricorn and Leo
Chakra: All; also used to link 1st (root) and 7th (crown) chakras
Metaphysically, the embedded rutile crystals are said to intensify the energy of clear or smoky quartz. Rutilated quartz is known to be an excellent aid in mental focus. It’s considered a stone that both shifts and integrates all levels of energy, and is particularly useful for moving blocked energy and breaking free of emotional ruts. It’s also said to attract love, aid creativity and spiritual growth, and be useful in easing fear and revealing the causes of mental problems.

When stringing rutilated or rutile quartz beads , let the color of the rutile be your guide. For example, quartz showing either red or black rutile goes beautifully with red and green garnets, cherry quartz, and black onyx. Quartz showing golden rutile will work well with all color garnets and black onyx, but also with fire opal, citrine, and smoky quartz. Try stringing quartz showing silvery rutile with aventurine and zircon.

Rutile quartz Color: Quartz – colorless, brown to grey, yellow, purple
Rutile – red, black, gold or silvery, rarely green
Quartz chemical composition: SiO2 silicon dioxide
Rutile chemical compositon: TiO2 titanium dioxide
Mohs’ Hardness: Quartz 7; rutile 6 - 61/2
Transparency: Transparent to opaque
Luster: Vitreous
Fracture: Conchoidal, very brittle
Crystal system: Hexagonal (trigonal) with hexagonal prisms
Cleavage: None
Specific gravity: 2.65
Streak: White
Refractive index: 1.54-1.55
Dispersion: 0.013
Pleochroism: None
Fluorescence: None
Occurrence: Australia, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Norway, Pakistan, United States