Reviews
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6.7" Wide, Polished Amazonite Section - Madagascar
This is an absolutely gorgeous section of amazonite that was collected, cut and polished in Madagascar. One side has been cut flat and polished to a glossy finish, while the opposite side was left rough. One edge of the specimen has been cut flat for presentation purposes. The dark brown-black crystals that are mixed in with the amazonite are smoky quartz.
There is an unidentified purple mineral that's naturally associated with this amazonite and smoky quartz. The Mohs Hardness scratch test confirms that it is softer than quartz and harder than calcite. Fluorite has been found to form in association with amazonite, so it's possible it's fluorite, however its lack of fluorescence and its chatoyant properties in spots make it difficult to identify.
There is an unidentified purple mineral that's naturally associated with this amazonite and smoky quartz. The Mohs Hardness scratch test confirms that it is softer than quartz and harder than calcite. Fluorite has been found to form in association with amazonite, so it's possible it's fluorite, however its lack of fluorescence and its chatoyant properties in spots make it difficult to identify.
About Amazonite
Amazonite is a green variety of microcline feldspar that is the state mineral of Colorado. It has recently received a lot of attention for its prominence on the reality show “Prospectors”, which follows several groups of Colorado mineral miners. In fact, most of our amazonite is sourced from some of the prospectors on the show. High-quality crystals are found at several locations in Colorado, often in vugs associated with smoky quartz.
Its name comes from the Amazon River, where the mineral was originally thought to be found, though is now doubtful to occur in the region. Its distinct blue-green color was originally thought to be caused by copper content, but it is actually due to very small quantities of lead present in the mineral. The lead is locked away in the crystal structure so it poses no health risk from handling.
Amazonite is a green variety of microcline feldspar that is the state mineral of Colorado. It has recently received a lot of attention for its prominence on the reality show “Prospectors”, which follows several groups of Colorado mineral miners. In fact, most of our amazonite is sourced from some of the prospectors on the show. High-quality crystals are found at several locations in Colorado, often in vugs associated with smoky quartz.
Its name comes from the Amazon River, where the mineral was originally thought to be found, though is now doubtful to occur in the region. Its distinct blue-green color was originally thought to be caused by copper content, but it is actually due to very small quantities of lead present in the mineral. The lead is locked away in the crystal structure so it poses no health risk from handling.
Smoky quartz is a grey-brown to black variety of quartz. This common name is derived from the appearance of smoke within the quartz crystal. Depending on the location and the chemicals present during formation, smoky quartz can appear opaque black, but it is typically translucent to some extent. It is believed that the quartz gains this color from a combination of natural irradiation and aluminum impurities.
SPECIES
Microcline var. Amazonite & Quartz var. Smoky
LOCATION
Madagascar
SIZE
6.7 x 5.8", 2.1" thick
CATEGORY
ITEM
#129922
