Throughout the centuries, marcasite’s steely glint has captivated the imaginations of ancient civilizations, such as the Incas and Egyptians, and inspired admiration among the early Romans, who revered the mineral as “a stone of great fire.” 

Marcasite was also treasured by medieval monarchs and later adorned the likes of Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, Elizabeth I, and Queen Victoria before emerging in the 20th century as the quintessential Art Deco–style accessory. Today’s marcasite—cut from genuine, naturally occurring pyrite—possesses a timeless modernity and combines the allure of great opulence with an affordability that makes it especially attractive to jewelry lovers everywhere. 

Designers adore the luxury and glamour that marcasite brings to their creations—particularly when it comes from Swarovski, whose mastery of precision cutting technology and special polishing process endow the stones with an unmatched luster.

Recently, Swarovski presented its new Shield Cut for marcasite, which is exclusively cut for designer Judith Jack. Judith and Jack Rosenberg have been creating their own unique sterling and marcasite jewels for nearly 35 years and feature the Shield Cut in their new collection for summer 2014.

JCK