Dizzy for Drusy!

Stopping by jewelry designer Claudia Lobao's booth while on a buying trip in New York turned out to be much more than perusing a collection of exquisite jewelry. Claudia and I talked about one of our favorite trends in fashion jewelry right now — a product of mother earth, called drusy (pronounced "dru: z"). Also spelled druzy and druse, these tiny multi-faceted quartz crystals are found in the center of agate geodes and other minerals.

What makes drusy so riveting is its reflective, often iridescent, surface. It's eye-catching sparkle is reminiscent of sugar or fresh snow.

So what exactly is drusy? Drusy is the tiny crystals that form within or on the surface of other stones. It forms when ground water carrying dissolved silica is forced into a porous area of a rock. Tiny crystals form on the surfaces or in cavities of the rock, often on top of previously deposited minerals. This process takes millions of years.

Finding these sparkling treasures can be a tedious process. Agate rocks are dug from the earth, then split open. These are called geodes. The center of these geodes are what we call drusy. Pieces are cut from the irregular-shaped interior surface of these geodes, then cut into shapes, and the back sides are polished to be used in jewelry.

But not every geode is a winner. Many are split open to reveal solid rock that can't be used for anything. It's a laborious process to find the glittering nuggets that make spectacular jewelry. So it's easy to understand why drusy costs a little more than many other gemstones.

Once drusy is cut and shaped, dye is applied which Claudia describes as vivid color that seemingly melts into the stones.

Jewelry made with drusy has a magnificent brilliance that is not unlike diamonds. Thankfully, drusy is far less expensive. And here's another fun fact: drusy quartz is believed to energize and stabilize both your body and aura, promoting creativity.