If this were turquoise I would have a custom squash set made.
These rocks are all over our acreage. Some are still part of the mountain.
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Is it quartz or quartzite?
I have often wondered why most Squash Blossum necklaces are made from turqupise?
The few I have seen with other stones are beautiful.
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As you know, the early squash blossoms were simple without stones. Likely turquoise was initially added as historically it was used for adornment. Iām attracted to the simpler squash blossoms with or without turquoise. The gorgeous ones using other stones are wonderful pieces, but Iām more of a traditionalist.
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I agree with @Bmpdvm, turquoise is important to Native Americans so I would expect mostly turquoise to be used. If I were to purchase one, I would prefer it with turquoise, but @OrbitOrange recent posted a squash with coral that looks beautiful.
I love this rock, @here4turquoise! Could it be granite? Although that top one does look like quartz (but Iām not terribly knowledgeable in this area). There is rock all over the UP, too. Lower peninsula is about all sand 
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Speaking of granite, my wonderful jeweler recently did some experimentation with polished quartz. He collected it from the Merced River, washed down from Yosemite. I think itās just gorgeous! Iāve seen Who would have thought jewelry from granite.
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I live in an area full of granite. Polish it and make cabochons/jewelry from it.
Some is very beautiful and has opal like inclusions.
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Iāve often thought granite should be used in jewelry! Iāve got some really cool pieces Iāve picked up from around the Great Lakes throughout the years. That is a beautiful pendant!
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To be honest I really donāt know. Some are nearly clear others have veins in them.
I like traditional as well but own some with bling. 
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I will need to ask the rock hounds in the area. Weāve had a few people ask for architectural rocks. This one is sitting on a tree stump waiting for another request.
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Fernwood was right! Imagine getting your kitchen counters made out of that beautiful stuff 
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Soā¦Iāve always called this Quartz, and didnāt know the difference between Quartz and Quartzite. But when we moved, the home we bought had horrid (Iām my opinion) countertops, so when we did some improvements, I put in Quartzite (natural stone) countertops. Hereās what I learned:
āQuartz is an engineered, man-made product manufactured in a factory by combining elements of quartz, resin, and pigment. Alternatively, quartzite is a natural stone that forms 100% organically deep within the earth that is extracted in blocks by quarryingā
Confusing? I thought so!
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Interesting. I only have time for a quick look before I run into work. When I googled, āis quartz a real rock,ā AI said what you found. However I found thisā¦
And this ā¦
Soā¦? Semantics maybe? And apparently for countertops anyway, itās a mix. So I would have to disagree that Quartz is strictly man-made, unless itās a countertop.
Love your countertops! Mine arenāt very pretty, but we keep spending our money on other things so I guess Iām not that bothered by them
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When not referring to countertops, the difference between qiartz and quartzite is:
Quartzite is a metamorphic rock, while quartz is an igneous rock that crystallizes from magma or precipiates around hydrothermal vents. Sandstone under pressure becomes quartz arenite and quartzite, but quartzite does not become quartz.
Quartzite has a more grainy texure and is less translucent than quartz.
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Crazy huh! I was so suprised and confused when I informed that quartz was man made (maybe referring only to countertops??). My sister is a geologist and collected all kinds of minerals, including quartz. So, Iāve always thought quartz is the mineral silicone dioxide??? Just when you think you know something, somebody changes it!
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Thanks for the clarification, @fernwood. My sister, a geologist, likely knows this, but I sure didnāt! I did take Geology in school, so I definitely know the difference between igneous and metamorphic rock. So maybe when igneous rock (Quartz) is subjected to high heat and pressure over time it transforms to metamorphic (Quartsite)? Makes sense to meš¬.
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I love this forum. Where else might you learn about quartz v. quartzite?
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Wonderful discussion!
All I know about quartz is that when itās white quartz, and youāre in Ireland, you want to avoid using it when building walls, houses, etc. Itās a stone closely associated with the fairies, so itās bad luck to use it in building because doing so will get them riled at you. (citation)
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āquartzā countertops is a man-made product with some toxic implications for the manufacturing process, and the product was akin to composite turquoise - ground up bits of quartz all mushed together with some sort of adhesive.
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