Amazonite

Amazonite is the green or bluish-green variety of microcline, a potassium feldspar. Its name alludes to the Amazon River, but the stone is not found in the Amazon Basin. Finds from excavations in Middle and New Kingdom Egypt and in Mesopotamia show that it has been used in jewellery for more than three thousand years. It is cut into cabochons, beads and small carvings. Because it can contain lead, it should be kept away from children and from drinking water.

Jewellery: Cabochons, beads, small carvings and pendants are made from it. Because it has perfect cleavage in two directions, a domed cut is preferred to faceting, and the stone needs protection from knocks. Jewellery in history: It was used for jewellery in Middle and New Kingdom Egypt and in Mesopotamia; in Bronze Age Egypt it was mined at Gebel Migif in the Eastern Desert. Collecting: Vivid green crystals grown together with smoky quartz are sought by collectors.

It has a hardness of 6–6.5 on the Mohs scale. It can scratch glass; a steel knife scratches it only with difficulty. Its specific gravity is 2.54–2.57 g/cm³.

Its best-known localities: Pikes Peak area, El Paso County, Colorado, USA; Miass area (Ilmen Mountains), Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia; Gebel Migif, Eastern Desert, Egypt; Amelia, Amelia County, Virginia, USA; Koppio, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia.

Its colour runs from green to bluish green; vivid, turquoise-like tones are the most sought after. Its hardness is 6–6.5: it scratches glass. But with perfect cleavage in two directions it chips or breaks easily on impact. Cleavage faces flash like mirrors in the light; on the green ground you often see thin white streaks or a grid-like pattern. Turquoise, green fluorite and dyed stones of a similar colour may be sold as amazonite; a gem laboratory is needed for a firm answer.

On the “street to diamond” value ladder it sits on step 5 of nine: Ornamental stone. Colour counts most: vivid, saturated, turquoise-like green-blue tones are far more sought after than pale, yellowish or greyish greens. Evenness of colour, few white streaks and the absence of cracks also matter. Because of its cleavage it is usually cut as a cabochon, beads or carvings; faceting is rare. Among collectors, fine crystals grown together with smoky quartz, such as those from localities like Colorado's Pikes Peak area, are valued.

A news site in Türkiye (Gazete Vatan, 2024) writes that amazonite helps throat, heart and lung problems, thyroid disease and acne and pimples on the skin, and makes it easier to fall asleep. The same article says that amazonite improves concentration, helps forgetfulness, calms the heart and soothes the nerves, and presents it as a “stone of harmony” representing harmony, truth and communication, a symbol of peace and calm. Crystal-therapy circles claim that amazonite protects against the electromagnetic radiation given off by devices such as computers and mobile phones. In the same circles, pieces of amazonite are said to “purify” drinking water when placed in a water bottle. There is no scientific evidence that amazonite helps illness, improves sleep or attention, protects against electromagnetic radiation or purifies water; for lasting complaints see a doctor rather than relying on a stone. Putting the stone in water can actually be harmful: amazonite can contain lead, and in a 2021 experiment by a German laboratory (EPI) the lead released into an acidic solution exceeded the EU standard's recommended value by five times. Amazonite should not be put in water or mouthed. This section reports beliefs; it is not health information. There is no scientific evidence for these claims and no stone replaces medical treatment.

Amazonite can contain lead. In 2021 the German Institut für Edelsteinprüfung (EPI) reported that the lead released from an 11 g sample of amazonite into an acidic solution simulating saliva exceeded the amount recommended by the EU's DIN EN 71-3:2013 standard by five times. So the stone should not be put in drinking water, mouthed, or given to children in pieces small enough to swallow.