Amazonite
Amazonite is green, blue-green gem variety of Microcline. It was named after Amazon River, from which certain green stones were formerly obtained, however it is doubtful whether Amazonite occurs in the Amazon area.
| General Information | ||||||||||
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| A variety or type of: | Microcline, which is a variety of Feldspar | |||||||||
| Other Names/Trade Names: | ||||||||||
| Chemical Formula |
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| Amazonite Treatments | ||||||||||
| Amazonite – colour is lost on heating to over 300°C and can be restored by irradiation if heating was insufficient (500°C) to cause water loss. Often dyed (uniform color), impregnated with wax or coated with plastic (scratch test, hot point test) - Blue Chart Gem Identification, Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, 2010, p 8 | ||||||||||
| Physical Properties of Amazonite | ||||||||||
| Mohs Hardness | 6 to 6.5, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references | |||||||||
| Specific Gravity | 2.55 to 2.57, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references | |||||||||
| Tenacity | Brittle, Gemstones of the world (2001) | |||||||||
| Cleavage Quality | Perfect, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) | |||||||||
| Fracture | Uneven,Conchoidal, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) | |||||||||
| Refractive Index | 1.522 to 1.530, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references | |||||||||
| Optical Character | Biaxial/-, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references | |||||||||
| Birefringence | 0.008 to 0.010, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references | |||||||||
| Pleochroism | Weak, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) | |||||||||
| Dispersion | ||||||||||