Rock Crystal, the marvelous colourless quartz

Rock crystal defines a colorless quartz variety that is speckled by random inclusions which are turning all the objects made of this material into unique and fascinating pieces.

While crystal is actually created by the human hand through a chemical process, rock crystal is a natural element made of transparent frosts. The various crystals locked in the rock are composed of liquid, semi liquid or gaseous elements which may be considered as defects but also give a unique personality to the stone unlike the perfectly transparent crystal created by the human hand.

Since the dawn of time, natural elements and especially minerals have fascinated mens by their beauty to the point that some civilizations attributed holy values and magical powers.

Fragment of a Rock Crystal Bowl
Roman or Byzantine
3rd–5th century
© Met Museum

This variety of colorless quartz which may be found in large quantities on the earth surface. It develops in rock cavities and its size and purity depend on the space it has to develop. In favorable conditions, crystals can fetch large dimensions of more than 1 cubic meter. Brazil and Madagascar have today the largest ressources in rock crystal, USA also have large deposits and in Europe smaller ones can be located in the East in Ukraine.

This material was extracted in the mountainous regions of India during the ancient times and during the antiquity and middle age it was regarded as a fascinating quartz. However, in the 17th century once human learnt how to imitate rock crystal it suddenly became much less interesting and was quickly replaced by artificial crystal which was much less expensive to produce compared to the cost of extracting from nature. Crystal created by the human results in the fusion of sands, mud, sodium carbonate or potassium. In the 18th century the symbolic virtues of natural elements, including rock crystal, tend to disappear at a time of scientific spirit development.

Snuff bottle with god of longevity and deer
China, 18th–19th century
© Met Museum

During the 18th and 19th century rock crystal was used mainly to create lighting elements such as candlesticks or candelabra. Jewelers would rediscover this material at the end of the 19th century especially under the impulsion of the prominent Carl Fabergé who in 1870 took over the management of his family business in Saint Petersburg. He would go against the traditional thinking and give priority to the design of his pieces rather than the quality of the material used. He would replace big and flashy stones by semi-precious stones, enamels or minerals and would be particularly attracted by the natural beauty of rock crystal. Pieces made of this material would quickly have a large success among his clientele which included at that time royal families. Among the most notable pieces resorting to rock crystal are small flower vases composed of gold flower stalks rooted in rock crystal pot symbolizing water.

A rare Fabergé gold-mounted enamel, nephrite and rock crystal study of wild strawberries (circa. 1900)
Cylindrical rock crystal vase, gold stem, nephrite leaves and enamelled strawberries with seed pearls and diamonds
© Katerina Perez

Since the beginning of the 20th century has been used frequently to create unique clock pieces especially by two master jewelers : Cartier and Van Clef & Arpels. In 1911, Maurice Couet, a master clockmaker, met Louis Cartier and from this encounter was born an exceptional collection of “Mysterious” clocks inspired notably by the famous magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin. The clock mechanism was invisible, creating a magic effect on its viewer.

Cartier
Large Portique Mystery Clock, 1923
Gold, platinum, rock crystal, diamonds, coral, onyx, enamel
© Cartier

These clocks were all made from rare and precious materials such as jade, coral and, of course, rock crystal. It is estimated that from 1913 to 1930 around one hundred of these mystery clocks have been crafted by the highly qualified Cartier workers, all being reserved for the richest clients of the company. In 1920s Van Cleef & Arpels and also showed strong creativity with the release of several exceptional clocks.

Van Cleef & Arpels
Rock crystal sautoir, 'Vintage Alhambra'
Yellow gold and quatrefoil motifs set with rock crystal
© Sotheby’s

This interest for rock crystal in the jewelry world would continue to grow in the first decades of the 20th century and would reach its peak in the 1930s. Then from the 1940 to 1960 it would be almost totally forgotten before coming back to the limelight under the initiative of several personalities in the jewelry world such as David Webb. Since 1970s Boucheron places a strong emphasis on rock crystal especially when it comes to exploring the animal theme. One of the most spectacular piece made out of rock crystal created by Boucheron is certainly a Cassablanca mosque model ordered by the King Hassan II, a project that took more than one year by 20 workers to be completed.