AMAZONITE005a

AMAZONITE:

Crystal Structure: Triclinic, prismatic.
Color: Green, blue, green, gray, multicolor (white color of streak.
Hardness: 6 - 6.5 on the Mohs scale.
Cleavage: Perfect.
Transparency: Translucent to opaque.

Amazonite is a light green to light bluish green feldspar. Amazonite's soft and attractive color closely resembles nephrite and jadeite. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as 'Colorado jade' or 'Pikes Peak jade' because of the close resemblance. Amazonite's appearance is very distinctive with its grid-like, mottled, green and white pattern. Amazonite also has a very faint sheen adding to its uniqueness.

Amazonite is a gemstone variety of the feldspar group of minerals. There are two main subgroups of feldspar, potassium feldspar (orthoclase and microcline) and plagioclase feldspar. Amazonite is a green microcline variety of potassium feldspar and there are only a handful of closely related gemstones. Amazonite is sometimes mistaken for the following: jade, chrysoprase, chalcedony, serpentine, turquoise or aventurine.

"The Mineral Amazonite"

A-

B-

C-

D-

E-

F-

G-

H-

I-

J-

K-

L-

M-

N-

O-

P-

Q-

R-

S-

T-

U-

V-

W-

X-

Y-

Z

CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE LARGER PICTURE