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Marcasite Jewelry

Marcasite jewelry was popular throughout history. Won over by the yellow-brass color, Marie Antoinette preferred marcasite to diamonds and pearls. Marcasite jewelry really took off during the 1920s and 1930s when the Art Deco trend was at its peak. Big, bold colors and designs were hip - allowing for plenty of elbowroom for the loud and beautiful marcasite stone.

Marcasite is a mineral mined from sedimentary rocks and coral beds. Found all over the world, including most of Europe, marcasite jewelry is widely available and offers sophistication at a low cost. Marcasite is sometimes referred to as Swiss marcasite or Thai marcasite. Both are genuine marcasite; Swiss and Thai merely refer to their countries of origin.

Over the years, marcasite has been the alternative of choice to diamonds. During the 1700s in Switzerland, diamonds were forbidden among the masses due to Sumptuary Laws. In the Georgian period and during World War I, marcasite was substituted for the more expensive gem; diamonds.