The green amethyst stone is called prasiolite. Its main shade ranges from emerald to soft green. Recently, stone mining has decreased significantly as its reserves have been depleted. However, this does not cause a wave of indignation, since large quantities of the stone are made from transparent amethyst. In order for it to get the required color, it must be calcined. In other words, it is heated to a temperature of 500 degrees, and then naturally cooled. In many ways, the final result depends on the processing method, as well as on the characteristics of the original mineral.
History and origin
The greenish stone has ancient origins. There is written evidence of which dating back to the 4th century BC. Even the ancient Greeks were amazed at its wonderful properties. They decided to name the mineral in connection with the Greek word “prazon”, which means onion feathers. Thus, greenish quartz became prasiolite; for its special shade it is often called “onion” stone.
What is prasiolite stone?
Prasiolite is a natural variety of quartz. The name reflects the leek-colored appearance of the mineral. Translated from Greek, prasiolite means “onion stone.” Modern aesthetes compare it to mint.
The mineral is mined in several deposits:
- Brazil - mint-colored specimens.
- Russian Primorye - slightly greenish stones.
- The USA is saturated.
- India - olive.
In nature, green amethyst is rare; the crystals are small, translucent, without luminescence. Pleochroism is weak, from pale to light green with shades of gold and lemon. It is also called prazem. It is fragile and fades quickly in light.
The color and origin of the mineral determined its other names:
- vermarine;
- green quartz;
- emerald quartz;
- Indian emerald;
- peridine;
- chrysoquartz
Externally, the stone is similar to peridot, beryl, tourmaline, but they are more saturated and shiny.
Varieties of the mineral include chrysoprase and aventurine. Green amethysts almost never reach jewelers, ending up in gemological collections.
Place of extraction
Green amethyst was actively mined in the mines of Brazil. But then it was discovered in other countries:
- USA;
- India;
- Mexico;
- Australia;
- Uruguay;
- Madagascar;
- Switzerland;
- Germany;
- Poland;
- Russia.
In our country, the Dalnegorsk deposit of green amethyst is located in Primorye. In Europe, the mineral was originally discovered in the mountainous part of Switzerland. Then they began to mine it in Poland and Germany. The color of prasiolite differs depending on the place where the mineral was mined.
Brazilian stones have a mint hue. Stones from the Primorsky region in Russia are barely greenish. Indian green amethysts resemble the color of olive fruit. In America, this variety of quartz has the most vibrant color.
Now we have to admit the fact that prasiolite deposits have almost been depleted. The mineral is becoming rare. This affects the price of jewelry with it. A product with such a green beauty is not cheap, so instead of genuine crystalline quartz, manufacturers use artificial stone.
How to wear and care?
The energy of a green gem is not very strong; to preserve it, proper care will be required.
Rules of care
Artificial stones, unlike natural ones, do not require careful care, but following simple recommendations will help preserve their original appearance:
- Stones can only be washed using a soft brush or cloth . The use of household chemicals is strictly prohibited.
- Minerals should be stored in a separate box, lined with soft fabric inside.
It is important to prevent jewelry from falling onto a hard surface - the stone may crack or break.
Wearing rules
When choosing prasiolites for everyday wear, you should periodically give them time to rest in a dark box. This way the natural energy of the gem is restored. Stones are afraid of the sun and can become discolored, so it is unacceptable to wear jewelry on the beach.
Important! It is recommended to remove jewelry before contact with household chemicals, since they negatively affect the properties and color of prasiolite.
Physicochemical characteristics
This variety of crystalline quartz is distinguished by a pale emerald hue with a golden glow. This unusual color of the stone is due to the presence of needle-like inclusions in the mineral. Prasiolite has the glassy luster and splintered fracture characteristic of quartz. The stone has a fragile structure, it is transparent or translucent.
The greenish mineral, under the influence of sunlight, loses its color and becomes simply colorless quartz. This feature is also characteristic of purple amethyst. This metamorphosis is associated with the transformation of ions responsible for coloring under the influence of light. On the Mohs mineralogical scale (which gives an idea of the hardness of stones), green amethyst occupies the seventh position.
From a chemical point of view, prasiolite is silicon dioxide; it is durable and fairly hard crystals without color. It is a glass-forming and acidic oxide that does not react with water. Does not conduct electric current.
Meaning and description of the stone
Green amethyst is a stone that is very lucky to find in nature. It has a golden-green (onion) color. This color is obtained due to the organic elements contained in the mineral.
Green amethyst is a semi-precious stone. It is classified as a variety of quartz. It is sometimes called prasiolite. But in fact, prasiolite is a very rare variety of quartz, and heated and irradiated amethyst is only an imitation.
More than a century ago, people learned to make green amethysts from other minerals. Such crystals are not considered fake, since they are obtained from natural stones.
Quite large crystals are found in nature. This allows you to make jewelry in large sizes.
Natural green amethyst resembles other minerals:
- green tourmaline;
- beryl;
- peridot;
- chrysoprase;
- aventurine.
The gems presented in the list have a more saturated color and shimmer more strongly. They have different chemical formulas.
Needle-like formations are sometimes found in the structure of the stone. Some gem connoisseurs consider this feature a defect, while others consider it a sign of exclusivity.
Varieties
There is a natural mineral and its natural analogue. Both options refer to semi-precious stones:
- Natural green amethyst is found in the form of crystals in the depths of the earth. The stones have an onion-like hue. Due to their rarity they have a very high price.
- Natural analogue. Green-hued stones are obtained by calcination or ionized irradiation of ordinary purple amethysts and other varieties of quartz.
Natural green amethyst is extremely rare. Such stones tend to gradually lose their color and become transparent when in contact with sunlight.
Stone obtained by heating other quartz has a more stable color that does not fade as much in the sun. Shades of gems can be onion green, golden onion, olive and even lime. It depends on the degree of heating and the color of the base stone.
To watch a video of the stone, how it looks in jewelry:
Medicinal properties
The stone is credited with healing properties. They say it helps with infectious diseases, reduces high fevers if the patient is given it in the hands or given water infused on the stone to drink. Green amethyst is considered a good remedy for migraines; if you hold it on your forehead and temples, the pain will subside. The owner of jewelry with prasiolite can be sure that the stone has a beneficial effect on the functioning of his cardiovascular system.
For therapeutic purposes, jewelry with green amethyst is recommended to be worn in the form of earrings, brooches and pendants. In this case, its effect on the human brain, organs of vision and hearing will be more effective. Even light massage movements with green amethyst in the facial area can rejuvenate the skin. People with an unstable nervous system should not purchase this stone; it is not suitable for those with mental health problems.
Important! To preserve youthful skin and cleanse it, it is recommended to wash your face with water infused with green amethyst.
How to use
Traditional healers identify several methods of using the stone:
- compresses: help with headaches and toothaches, limb injuries, muscle strains. The mineral is applied to the sore spot for 30-40 minutes;
- healing water: the stone is left in water overnight. The healing liquid is drunk to increase immunity, for stomach problems, and diseases of internal organs;
- massage: amethyst beads are used to massage the back, limbs and face. The procedure improves the general condition of the body.
For chronic diseases, the stone is worn for several hours a day. But be sure to remove it at night.
Magic properties
Prasiolite is a suitable stone for preserving a family idyll. The magical properties of green amethyst extend to the relationship between parents and children. This stone promotes mutual understanding in the family. It is the key to the excellent reputation of its owner.
If the owner of such an amethyst is planning something unkind or dishonest, the stone ceases to serve him. It loses its properties and even its greenish color becomes discolored. Green amethyst, inherited, has special power. But he will promote success and help only in good endeavors.
It would be fitting for a product made of green amethyst to end up in a children’s room. The stone will reliably ensure the child’s peace of mind and good sleep. Prasiolite will give an adult optimism and good luck in business.
Attention! Green amethyst has a beneficial effect on the business sphere and the life of its owner. Once it is transferred to another person, the stone will lose these magical properties.
Application area
This breed is often used to create souvenir items (figurines, boxes and candlesticks). It is important to note that such products are created not from natural stones, but synthetic ones, which is why their cost is so low. In the jewelry industry, using natural rock, unique products are created that have no analogues. Accordingly, the cost of such jewelry is much higher. Crystal is often used in cosmetology and dermatology. With its help, a number of procedures are carried out to eliminate inflammation and other skin problems.
Talismans and amulets
Every jeweler knows that this stone looks perfect in a silver frame. Nobody forbids framing it in gold. But silver is the best option, most suitable for a talisman. Amethyst in jewelry is a wonderful decoration and at the same time a talisman. Typically this stone is found in the following works of jewelry:
- pendants;
- necklaces;
- earrings;
- bracelets;
- pendants;
- rings.
As a reliable amulet, a silver cross is decorated with green stones. It is believed that in this case a person is protected by his guardian angel. A wonderful gift with meaning is jewelry with prasiolite for a loved one. He is the guarantee of fidelity of feelings and reciprocity in love.
This could be an “onion” stone in a ring or bracelet. The octagon with a stepped cut of the stone is especially good. This octagonal green amethyst concentrates sunlight, conveys the purity of a transparent mineral. This type of cut protects the stone from chipping and damage.
Prasiolite is considered a powerful amulet. It attracts good luck and wealth. The stone promotes the development of talent in a person and helps to acquire new useful qualities. It is especially important to wear such an amulet in combination with silver; this metal only enhances the protective properties of the green mineral.
Important! Only a very experienced specialist can distinguish a natural stone in a piece of jewelry from its artificial counterpart. When purchasing a product with green amethyst, you need to be very careful not to pay the cost of a genuine mineral for an artificial stone.
Jewelry Prasiolite
Exquisitely mysterious coloring, simple processing and an affordable price have made this precious gem a favorite of jewelers.
We recommend reading: Green diamonds are one of the rarest colored diamonds
Artificial stones are available in a regular store. Natural gems are found only in elite salons. The price of transparent faceted prasiolite is $25–110, synthetic is $7–15 per carat.
The stone looks advantageous in men's and women's jewelry, in any precious metal, next to diamonds, cubic zirconia, and other stones. Almost always it is in silver, the gold frame is in harmony with olive specimens.
But the stone itself is also good - in bracelets, pendants, necklaces. Pairs perfectly with clothes in cool colors.
Differences between prasiolite and green amethyst
Prasiolite began to be called green amethyst in the mid-20th century in Brazilian mines. This is due to the production of artificial prasiolite by calcining amethyst crystals at high temperatures. Then an unnatural stone arose, which jewelers then began to widely use, often passing it off as a natural mineral. The difference between prasiolite and green amethyst is associated with the processing of the stone, which is based on crystalline quartz.
The artificially created stone turned out to be painted in an intense green color of various shades and was quite transparent. Another technology for producing an analogue of “onion” stone was also invented. It is based on ionized irradiation of quartz crystals. This contributed to the mass production of stone for jewelry.
They also began to tint the mineral. To do this, they used the method of heating the stone, then immediately dipping it into a cold dye solution. This allowed the green paint to penetrate inside. After all these man-made metamorphoses, clever jewelers managed to make jewelry with fake green amethyst and then sell them at the price of natural prasiolite.
How to distinguish natural stone from fake
Fraudsters pass off colored glass as green amethyst. It is not difficult to distinguish a fake from a natural gem: just put it on your cheek and hold it for a few minutes. Natural green amethyst will remain cool.
Needle-like inclusions in a crystal are not a sign of a fake. In nature, there are specimens with such a defect.
Only professionals can distinguish a natural stone from an amethyst processed at high temperatures. This will require special equipment. The average person should understand that only natural analogues of green amethyst are widely available. Natural stone is used exclusively in expensive exclusive jewelry.
We recommend watching a video review about fakes:
Who is suitable according to their zodiac sign?
This stone can be worn by representatives of all zodiac signs. More than others, green amethyst is suitable for representatives of the water element - Pisces and the air element - Aquarius. This stone will help Pisces to believe in themselves and learn to manage their feelings. With the help of prasiolite, Aquarians can learn to restrain emotions and comprehend previously unknown truths.
The fire signs of the zodiac - Sagittarius and Aries - will find the harmony they need so much with green amethyst. Scorpios and Cancers can even find personal and family happiness with the help of this stone. Amethyst will protect Capricorns from troubles, and will give Taurus the opportunity to avoid stressful situations. The green stone has a beneficial effect on the emotional state of Leo and Virgo, and gives life balance and peace to Libra and Gemini.
Characteristic
Brief description of the physical properties of the stone:
- pyramidal, less often prismatic system;
- glass shine;
- different degrees of transparency;
- conchoidal fracture.
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Published by Unique-stones Friday, March 10, 2021
When heated to temperatures above 250 degrees, the mineral changes color. The stone is mined mainly in Brazil. It is extremely rare to find it in the USA, Australia, India, and Mexico.
