Judith and Jack Rosenberg discovered the allure of marcasite over 30 years ago when they were involved with the sale of estate and antique jewelry to the trade. When the pieces, so different from the accepted styles of the day, proved so popular that they simply could not keep up with demand -- the Rosenbergs began creating replicas of the older styles primarily in sterling silver and marcasite. The success of their antique replicas led them to introduce more contemporary designs, as well as a line of jeweled belt buckles in 1994, and a collection of jeweled handbags in 1996.
Today, the designers introduce five collections per year of pins, bangle bracelets, necklaces and earrings, in their signature marcasite and sterling silver, all set off against the hues of semi-precious stones and faux pearls. Current collections, still focused primarily on the innovative use of the best grade "A" quality marcasite and sterling silver, are designed to complement today’s lifestyle needs for casual, day and evening appropriate attire.
Marcasite, a natural mineral mined in South America, is a silver colored stone with a bright metallic luster that sparkles like small diamonds when cut with many small facets. Also known as iron pyrite or "Fool’s Gold," marcasite jewelry was found in Egyptian tombs, in Incan ruins, among the artifacts of ancient Greece and in North America during the Gold Rush of 1848. Pins and pendants made of thousands of tiny marcasite stones were immensely popular during both the Victorian and Art Deco eras.
Most Beautiful Collection from Judith Jack
Both distinctively different and highly attractive, a Judith Jack marcasite design will set you apart from the crowd.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Color is brassy yellow with a greenish tint at times. A multi-colored tarnish may exist that is the result of oxidation.
Luster is metallic.
Transparency: Crystals are opaque.
Crystal System is orthorhombic; 2/m 2/m 2/m
Crystal Habits include the tabular, bladed or prismatic forms. A twinning effect produces spear shaped crystal and repeated twinning produces a "cock's comb" cluster. Also massive, botryoidal, stalactitic and nodular. Sometimes as a replacement mineral of fossils and a pseudomorph of pyrite.
Cleavage is poor in two directions.
Fracture is uneven.
Hardness is 6 - 6.5
Specific Gravity is approximately 4.8+ (average for metallic minerals)
Streak is greenish to brownish black.
Other Characteristics: A sulfur smell is sometimes detectable.
Associated Minerals are calcite, dolomite, quartz, goethite, fluorite, pyrrhotite, bornite, chalcocite, sphalerite, pyrite, galena and other sulfides.
Notable Occurrences are widespread, but the more notable sites include Joplin, Missouri; Grant County, Wisconsin and Hardin County, Illinios, USA; Guanajuato, Mexico; Escale Pas de Calais, France; Peru; China and Russia.
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, smell and greenish tint.
