Gem Profile- Aventurine

by Dale Armstrong

The often sparkly light through dark green quartz that has been used to create ornamental objects for thousands of years, is what we call green aventurine. Similar to quartzite, but not really a chalcedony, aventurine is a granular quartz rock that is usually available in shades of green; but did you know that it is also found naturally in shades of brownish-red, tangerine-red through peachy orange, cream, white, gray and even blue?

Green aventurine gets its color from inclusions of green mica (fuchsite) colored by chromium. Reddish and orange tones come from hematite or goethite-colored mica, or iron oxide platelets, while blue hues are due to dumortierite.

The metallic iridescence seen in aventurine of any color is caused by platelets or flakes of included mica and minerals. This effect is called aventurescence.

In the past, shades of coral, orange, yellow, and peach feldspars were also called aventurine, such as "feldspar aventurine," but these are now classified as sunstone.

Pictured: a selection of aventurine cabochons. Notice the color variation, and a carved aventurine perfume bottle highlights the fuchsite inclusions well. Private collection, Dale Armstrong.

The origin of the name **aventurine** is interesting. In the early 1700s, an Italian glass-making family accidentally dropped metallic crystals into a batch of glass. The result looked like stars trapped inside the glass, and they named it **"a ventura,"** meaning "by chance." This glass is now known as **goldstone**. Because the rock resembled this glass, it was named aventurine.

Pictured: Aventurine heart wrapped in sterling silver by Jackie Morris, using Dale's "Anything" Harness, and Joan Madouse's wire-wrapped aventurine donuts and heart with copper, gold, and silver craft wire.

As a member of the macrocrystalline quartz family, aventurine has a hardness of 7 and ranges from semi-translucent to opaque. Because of this, it is rarely faceted into gemstones.

For centuries, aventurine has been used in jewelry as cabochons and beads. India has long provided an abundant source of green aventurine.

Historically, it was popular for creating "beggar beads" (also called "prayer beads") and for ornamental statuary, monuments, and cut columns and blocks for building. Beggar beads were named for those who were paid to pray for people or causes.

This pair of classic cabochon-style rings shows how bright aventurine can be, explaining how it could be mistaken for chrysoprase.

Besides India, green aventurine is also mined in Brazil, Austria, Russia, Tanzania, China, Africa, and North America. Red aventurine is found in Spain, Chile, Australia, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa.

Aventurine can be confused with jade, making the high-quality green aventurine from China especially valued, sometimes called "Indian Jade." Other look-alikes include amazonite and feldspar, and rare transparent bright green aventurine has occasionally been mislabeled as emerald or chrysoprase.

Pictured: Judy Copeland created this aventurine pendant by wire-wrapping an aventurine cabochon and embellishing with pearls. Also shown is a green aventurine cabochon wire-wrapped by Janet Cozzens, our featured Wire Artist for March, in sterling silver and antiqued.

Aventurine can serve as an alternate anniversary stone for the 8th wedding celebration, with green tourmaline being the traditional choice. It is also an alternate birthstone for August, where peridot is the traditional option.

Metaphysically, green aventurine is said to help balance male and female energies, foster a pioneering spirit, and enhance creativity.

Deborah Collyar created this necklace featuring a lampwork glass pendant and beads, with green beads made of amazonite and aventurine.

Resources

Print Resources:

Love is in the Earth by Melody, ISBN 0-9628190-3-4

The Peterson Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals by Frederick H. Pough, ISBN 0-395-24049-2
Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones by Curzio Cipriani and Alessandro Borelli, ISBN 0-671-60430-9
Internet Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org
https://www.minerals.net/Image/22/43/Chalcedony.aspx

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Dale Armstrong

A die-hard rockhound, lapidary, and wire jewelry designer, instructor and author, Dale credits her mom for spurring the main interest that led to Dale's chosen career. Her mother was an avid rockhound and many, weekend family adventures involved traipsing through the White Mountains of New Hampshire in search of abandoned pegmatite mines. This is where Dale’s fascination with, and education of rocks and minerals began, some 40 years ago.

With more than 40 years of experience, Dale uses absolutely no solder or glue in her traditional wire jewelry designs, and teaches how at jewelry making events in North America, Russia, Ukraine and Switzerland. Her award winning work is sold in galleries and has appeared in many printed publications.

Author of numerous magazine and Internet articles and the bestselling book, “Wirework: An Illustrated Guide to the Art of Wire Wrapping”, Dale has made several series of instructional DVDs for WireJewelry.com.

hen she is not teaching or writing, Dale creates new designs in SE Tennessee where she enjoys her family, furry friends, gardens and tons of rocks.