Aventurine

I've written previously about the mineral quartz, which is composed of silicon and oxygen (SiO₂) and how it often grows into pretty crystals. Sometimes, however, it can be found in environments that aren't conducive to crystal-growth, so it forms an amorphous rock, instead. There are several types of amorphous quartz, known by various names that relate to the color, location of origin, or other characteristics.

One of the most fascinating of these types is aventurine. The more common aventurine stones are colored green by the presence of fuchsite, which is a variety of muscovite mica. Aventurine with minerals other than fuschite can be orange, brown, yellow, blue, white, or grey. Flakes of other minerals can be present, too, giving a sparkly appearance of various colors as the stone is rotated under light.

Flakes of lepidolite mica can impart a pink, red or purple color. Hematite and goethite can produce pink, orange, red, and brown aventurine. Muscovite and ilmenite can produce gray, yellowish or silvery aventurine. ^[1]

The following is one of my aventurine specimens. Based on the above information, the silvery sparkles indicate the presence of either muscovite or ilmenite in this piece. Since muscovite is more common, that would be my guess as to what the flecks are in my sample.

Quartz is relatively hard, measuring around 6.5 on the Mohs Scale of hardness. However, fuchsite is softer, measuring around 2.5 on the Mohs Scale. So, the percentage of fuchsite that is included in the aventurine will cause the hardness of the rock to vary.

Aventurine is often carved into various shapes. This specimen of mine is shaped like a heart, and I had another piece that was carved like a crystal point but it broke. 😕 Since rocks come from the Earth, I thought it fitting to return my broken aventurine point back to Mother Earth, so it was buried in the back yard.

The cabochon shape (flat bottom with a domed, convex top) is often chosen for jewelry, and can easily be mounted in pendants, rings, and bracelets. Household items can be carved as well, such as bowls and small figurines.

Note the pale green color of the heart, above, and compare it to the darker green of the carved and polished sphere, below, which contains more fuschite. The sphere also has fewer flecks of muscovite sparkles as well, but it still a pretty piece. The bright spot in the center of the following photo is, of course, light from my camera's flash rather than a sparkle of mica.

It is worth noting that aventurine is not the same as jade. Jade is a completely different mineral with its own unique properties and composition. However, due to the resemblance of pale aventurine to jade, aventurine can be enjoyed in a similar way and at a cheaper price than jade.

I don't often mention metaphysical topics in my posts, but some say that aventurine is purported to have certain "healing" properties when touched. Anyone wanting more information in that regard can easily find it in an online search. 🙂