Amazonite is a relatively rare gemstone, believed by those who see gemstones as having special properties, as being able to soothe the emotions and nerves, enhance creativity, build self-confidence, enhance the ability to express oneself and make married life happier.
With all that in mind, perhaps amazonite should feature in everyone’s lives.
Amazonite is named after the Amazon River from where it was thought to originate. This, however, is incorrect as the gemstone is not found in that part of Brazil.
The most important deposits are found in Colorado, USA (since 1876) but also in India, Kenya, Madagascar, Namibia, Russia, Zimbabwe and in some regions of Brazil.
Items created from amazonite have been found in ancient Egypt, indicating that it has been highly regarded for jewellery and decorative objects for thousands of years.
Amazonite is a gemstone variety of green microcline, a feldspar mineral, sometimes mistaken for jade. It has a hardness of 6.5 on the MOH scale.
It is light green to blue in colour and shows a sheen effect called aventurescene (sparkle) caused by its flaky structure.
In jewellery making, amazonite is usually cut en cabochon with a rounded and convex polished surface and is most often used in beads and polished into cabochons and carvings. Amazonite is a soft stone and so particular care should be taken when wearing, on when storing with other minerals as it can easily crack or chip.
Amazonite is available in a range of sizes in-store at Western Frontier Traders.