What are "Mystic" Gemstones and How Are They Made?

Gemstones are beautiful as they are---mined from the earth or made in a lab.  Many, many "natural" gemstones are enhanced by various methods, including heat treatments which makes varieties of Quartz including Amethyst turn to Citrine and Ametrine for example, or which makes all Blue Topaz (from naturally occuring clear white topaz).  Rubies, Sapphires, and Tanzanites are also routinely heat treated to enhance their colors.  This is acceptable in the marketplace and these stones are still considered "natural gemstones" despite being treated.

Lately, a new technology involving coating gemstones such as Topaz and Quartz results in beautiful "Mystic" stones, creating a new "designer" type of gemstone.  There are many color varieties of this "mystic" treatment, including ecstasy topaz, mercury mist topaz, Neptune garden topaz and twilight fire topaz---each with a different type of coloration.  There are also gold or other metallic films, oranges, pinks, opal
...endless choices with new "mystic" treatments coming out all the time.

How is it made?  A thin metallic film (titanium) is applied to the pavillion (the lower portion of the faceted gem) on clear quartz or topaz, so that the ever-changing colors are reflected through the crown (the top) of the gem.  This means that the coating will be basically protected from scratching at the top, which gets the most wear and tear.  Plus, this film is molecularly bonded, making it a part of the stone.

The coated stones are durable and beautiful, displaying a wide array of rainbow colors.  So this method enhances the Quartz or Topaz with a film, rather than heat treatment.

Swarovski's Aurora Borealis Crystals

I've recently seen a lot of CZ (cubic zirconia) which has been treated with the "Mystic" film, which results in gorgeous colors.  This would make a beautiful and very affordable piece of jewelry, and probably with even more fire and brilliance than Mystic Topaz.  Of course, the Aurora Borealis coating on crystals and CZ have been around for some time, and they're really beautiful.  It appears that the Aurora Borealis coating is on the top (crown) of the stones rather than the  pavillion, so they need to be treated more carefully.  It's very interesting to note that the Aurora Borealis coating was created in 1956 when Christian Dior partnered with Swarovski to create the shimmering finish to enhance cut crystal!