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Article: Marcasite makes mark on jewelry
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- September 19, 1986
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright (null) Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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Q. I recently inherited some marcasite jewelry. Can you tell me
anything about it? Is it valuable?
A. Enjoy your inheritance and wear your jewelry - marcasites
were made to be worn, not hoarded as a valuable.
Technically, marcasite is crystallized iron pyrite that has been
cut and faceted to look like a jewel. Commonly known as "fool's
gold," pyrite has a metallic warmth that gemstones lack.
A popular stand-in for diamonds in jewelry of the Art Deco
period, designers often combined marcasites with colored quartz -
most often chalcedony or carnelian. Set by hand like a gemstone,
fine marcasites ...