/ List of stones / Magical properties of the Phenakite stone
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Phenakite is a mineral that is often confused with quartz. The appearance of both is similar due to the transparent color. It is mined in Russia, where it was first discovered and able to determine the differences from quartz. In honor of this, the phenacite stone is called the Ural diamond. The most common colorless mineral is found, but impurities with chemical elements can slightly change its color.
Phenakite stone
History and origin of the mineral
In Greek, phenakite means deceiver. It was introduced into the list of natural stones of the beryllium silicate class by the Swedish geologist A. E. Nordenskiöld in 1833. Earlier, at the beginning of the 19th century, a Russian stone cutter in the Urals, Yakov Kokovin, discovered an amazing yellowish gem. After a long study of the stone, he realized that this was an unknown specimen. There, in Russia, they began to study the mineral phenacite in detail and distinguish it from quartz. Another name for it is Ural diamond in honor of the place where it was first found and its shine, like a precious diamond.
Physical and chemical properties
Beryllium oxide accounts for 43-46% of the total mass of the stone. The mineral also contains other impurities: magnesium, calcium, germanium, boron, iron, etc. The main physical characteristics of the gem are as follows:
- hardness on the Mohs scale - 7.6;
- density - 3 g/cm³;
- refractive index - about 1.8;
- damage resistance - brittle;
- cleavage - imperfect;
- transparency - transparent;
- shine - glassy, greasy in places;
- syngony - trigonal.
What does Phenakite look like?
Sometimes crystal brushes, druses and needle-shaped crystals are found in nature. The mineral phenacite is usually medium in size, rarely reaching more than 20 mm in cross section. Small stones are of high quality, because... large ones have defects that cannot be used in jewelry.
Price
Officially not considered the best, it is a unique stone. For all time had an integer number of hundredths of matter.
Therefore, the price of phenacite is correct (thousand rubles):
- Faceted granite (7.3 carats, 12x12x8.5 mm) - 39.6;
- cabochon (14x9x6 mm) - 10.3;
- nugget measuring 11x8x8 mm - 0.78;
- pendant (nickel silver) - 1.7;
- pendant (silver) - 2.4;
- ring (nickel silver) - 2.7.
Features of color color
Mined phenacite crystals are mostly colorless and transparent. However, you can find stones with a yellowish, pinkish, greenish tint and even brown.
The crystal has one very interesting property. It may lose its color over time. For example, a bright yellow mineral was presented at an exhibition in Paris. After two months, the crystal became completely transparent. If you store bleached stones in the dark, you can partially restore their color, and small doses of X-rays focused on bleached stones can completely restore their color.
Interestingly, UV radiation causes the mineral to glow light purple or yellow. The flow of electrons directed at the crystal gives it a turquoise glow.
Rarities
The museums' heritage and individual collections are examples of exceptional size:
- The Ural Geological Museum has a seven-kilogram phenakite.
- The Smithsonian Institution in the United States of America is a dim crystal from Sri Lanka. This is the largest faceted crystal in the world. Thus, a similar set - almost 570 carats - is only half of the original.
- Royal phenacites with dolomite pieces are provided by the African government of Namibia.
At the everyday level, the types of pink colors are also the most important.
Application area
Jewelers use pure, defect-free phenakite to make jewelry. Due to its fragility, the mineral is well cut. Unlike quartz, it shines much more strongly in the sun’s rays, so products made with it look beautiful and rich.
Due to their transparency and ability to refract rays, some phenacites are installed in jewelry instead of diamonds. Most often it is subjected to stepwise emerald or diamond cutting.
Jewelers consider pink phenakites to be the most valuable specimens. If none are found, the pink color is “extracted” by exposing colorless minerals to gamma radiation.
It is believed that all large samples have flaws, but there are exceptions. For example, the Washington Institute houses a cut gem of 560 carats. It was obtained from a stone weighing almost 1,500 carats, found on the island of Sri Lanka. The Russian Museum of Geology in the Urals displays a specimen weighing 6.5 kg, found in the Emerald Mines.
Phenacite Jewelry
Jewelry with phenacite is quite expensive. Visually, this mineral resembles a precious diamond and less expensive beryllium. That is why expensive phenacite stones can sometimes be replaced by cheaper stones by not very honest manufacturers.
Place of Birth
In nature, the mineral is almost always found near elite alexandrite. The similarity in chemical composition is created by their “relatives”. Mica and fluorite are also taken here.
In addition, the nugget was found on the territory of the Ermakovsky (Zabaikalsky) deposit, as well as in the Ilmen hills. According to its essence, phenacite is a relative of the valuable alexandrite, which has a similar chemical structure.
Deposits are found in hydrothermal layers or rocks.
In addition to the Urals, deposits were discovered in Africa, Europe (Alps, Scandinavian Peninsula, Ukraine), Asia (Sri Lanka, India). However, the total amount of material is not too large.
The magical properties of phenacite stone
It is believed that phenacite is capable of attracting financial benefits. If you wear items with this stone, you can not only improve your well-being, but also quickly make a career. The owner of phenacite will always have new sources of money opening up to him.
The energetic vibrations of the stone affect the parietal chakra of a person. This helps develop intuition and super sense. Phenakite cleanses the biofield and helps you find your path in life. African people believe that the magical properties of the gem can protect against black magic and call on good spirits to help a person.
White gems are used for meditation, helping to increase its effectiveness and duration, and also open the gift of clairvoyance in a person. Yellow stones also promote immersion in a state of trance. With their help, it is easier to accept life's changes.
Stones of other shades do not have magical properties. Even if gems have any magical abilities, a person will practically not feel them.
Medicinal properties
Phenacite stone is also known for its healing abilities. Its action is aimed at the entire body. The color of the mineral plays an important role. This determines which area the stone will affect. White stones, as close as possible to colorless ones, help in the fight against stress, depression, and improve overall well-being. They are able to quickly get rid of the consequences of nervous breakdowns and emotional exhaustion. A person begins to feel joy, experiences positive emotions and receives positivity from his existence. White phenacite allows the astral body to travel and a person to see prophetic dreams.
Minerals of a yellow hue are used to cleanse the body and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Such stones increase appetite and, as a result, metabolic processes improve, insomnia and bad mood disappear. Externally, yellow phenakite is similar to amber in the process of its formation.
Pink phenacite normalizes the functioning of the nervous system
Pink phenacites normalize the functioning of the nervous system. The person becomes less irritable, does not get angry for any reason and behaves quite calmly, despite the difficulty of the situation.
How to care for stone
Ring with phenacite
Phenakite is a durable mineral, its hardness is similar to corundum. This makes it resistant to mechanical stress, but you should not test this rare gem by squeezing or strong impacts.
Phenacite has one feature - it is very unstable to ultraviolet radiation. If this mineral is exposed to sunlight even for a short time, it will completely discolor. You can partially restore the color of the stone if you leave it in a dark place for some time. Only a specialist can completely restore the color of phenacite by applying a certain dose of X-ray radiation.
Phenakite should be stored in a tightly closed box away from sunlight. It is not recommended to store the gem with other, softer minerals, so that it does not scratch or damage them.
Phenakite is not afraid of high temperatures and acids, but it is better not to use aggressive chemicals to clean it. It is enough to wash the stone with cool water with the addition of a mild soap solution, rinse and gently dry with a soft cloth.
Phenakite and astrology
Astrologers to this day cannot say unambiguously which zodiac sign phenacite is most suitable for. The stone belongs to the element of air. Because of this property of the stone, such zodiac representatives as Libra, Aquarius and Gemini fully experience it. With its help, they will learn to set priorities correctly, manage their emotions, and not follow their instincts. Gemini will notice a decrease in sudden mood swings and will become clear in their decisions. The stone also has a positive effect on Pisces, Cancers and Scorpios.
Virgos should avoid wearing such jewelry. This will make already modest people more withdrawn. Other zodiac signs can safely wear products with phenacite. He will exert his usual influence on them, without excesses.
Areas of use
Phenakite is used by jewelers, stone cutters and collectors of mineralogical collections:
- Jewelers prefer this granite: due to its significant diffraction rate, the colorless crystal shines like a diamond when illuminated. But jewelry with phenacite is created only in very few cases; such an application sometimes exists in catalogs of Russian models.
People's dirty hands are replaced by small diamonds or diamond clusters. The fit is complemented by the cut of the diamond.
- Some experts give a pendant or ring with a stone up to 3-4 carats. Most often it has a yellow-brown or transparent color.
- Granite has found its best use as an antique material.
- Balls and pyramids made from phenacite are common: they are bought for the purpose of secret skills.
A method for extracting artificial phenacite has been developed.
