Deep and lustrous, marcasite has been celebrated as a fascinating gemstone throughout human history. Up until the modern era, the word marcasite was used to refer to iron sulfide minerals in general, and while the modern scientific use of the word now applies to only one polymorph of iron pyrite, the traditional use of the term continues in the world of jewellery, where marcasite is today used to refer to small polished and faceted stones of pyrite inlaid in sterling silver, such as those in our current collection of sterling jewellery.

The ancient Greeks, the Romans and the Incas all made use of marcasite in their jewellery, and attributed strengthening and invigorating properties to this beautiful material. Meditating upon pyrite has long been said to remedy intellectual and nervous fatigue, and to provide a boost to one's vitality and mental clarity, even to the point of sparking creativity and aiding communication between the conscious and unconscious mind. The ancient Greeks were the ones to name pyrite after the word 'pyr', meaning fire, because of its ability to form sparks when struck against flint or steel. Many ancient civilisations saw fit to use polished pyrite slabs for scrying based on these energising and clarifying properties, including the Mayans and the Aztecs. The ancient Chinese are said to have believed that pyrite could guard against crocodile attacks; I'd guess that would depend on the weight and heft of each particular stone.

Thanks to the old Sumptuary Laws, which forbade anyone outside of the aristocracy from wearing diamonds, marcasite jewellery experienced a surge in popularity across Europe in the sixteen and seventeen hundreds as a sumptuous and legal alternative gemstone. Marcasite can take a high polish, and the stones are usually fashioned into a flattened rose cut (with a flat base and six triangular facets forming each peak), creating a dark reflective effect. In candle light or similar conditions, this allows marcasite to closely resemble the rose cut diamonds which were popular in the mid eighteenth century. Diamond cuts have moved on in modern times to allow greater brilliance and fire, but the vintage style of classic marcasite jewellery has long since become popular in its own right.

By the Victorian era, marcasite brooches, necklaces and other pieces were commonly worn by all sectors of society, to match the sombre example set by Queen Victoria herself in the years following her husband's death. Vintage sterling jewellery often paired marcasite stones with onyx or pearls, setting in stone a style that would be further reinvented in the 1920's by the artisans of the Art Deco movement. Marcasite proved well suited to the stylised geometric shapes and bold linear symmetry of Art Deco designs, and this classy style has never truly gone out of fashion.

These days, marcasite sterling jewellery has been brought up to date by the work of any number of fantastic contemporary designers, many of whom we are lucky enough to work with. Modern pieces like our marcasite and sterling silver heart brooch show off the texture and flow of the materials to beautiful effect, and I would dare to say they're not quite like anything else out there.

Meanwhile, the vintage look is coming back into trend, and evocative designs like our Scottie dog marcasite and sterling silver brooch would make the perfect complement to a retro outfit from almost any era. Art deco influences are abundant in pieces such as our marcasite and mother of pearl sterling silver ring, a dramatic highlight in a collection marked by bold designs.

We hope you enjoy browsing the marcasite and gemstone sterling jewellery in our current collection. Remember to drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter if there's anything you'd like to ask; we'd love to hear from you, as always!