Aventurine

Physical Properties of Aventurine

• Most common color is green, but can also be orange, brown, yellow, blue, or grey
• Chrome-bearing fuchsite gives a silvery green or blue sheen
• Oranges and browns are attributed to hematite or goethite
• Specific gravity may vary between 2.64-2.69
• Hardness is around 6.5, slightly lower than single-crystal quartz

Aventurine Varieties and Confusion

• Aventurine feldspar or sunstone can be confused with orange and red aventurine quartzite
• Aventurine is often banded and an overabundance of fuchsite may render it opaque
• It may be mistaken for malachite at first glance
• Goldstone is a common imitation of aventurine and sunstone
• Goldstone is visually distinguished by coarse flecks of copper dispersed within the glass

Origin and Distribution

• Majority of green and blue-green aventurine originates in India, particularly near Mysore and Chennai
• Creamy white, gray, and orange material is found in Chile, Spain, and Russia
• Indian artisans employ aventurine extensively
• Most material is carved into beads and figurines
• Finer examples are fashioned into cabochons for jewelry

Related Minerals and Phenomena

• Dioptase is a related mineral
• Aventurine exhibits optical phenomena
• Aventurine is listed among minerals
• Malachite is another mineral related to aventurine
• Jade is also associated with aventurine

References and External Links

• Reference: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Aventurine. Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol.3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p.54.
• Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aventurine
• Look up 'aventurine' in Wiktionary, the free dictionary
• Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article on Aventurine
• Aventurine information available at Mindat.org

Aventurine Data Sources