ClassicGems.net

Amazonite (variety of Microcline)

First cited as Pierre des Amazones in 1701; IMA status: Not Valid (variety name)

Chemistry

Chemical Formula:

KAlSi₃O₈ + Pb or Fe

Potassium Aluminum Silicate + Lead or Iron

More Information

Amazonite is a variety of Microcline.
For more information please see the Microcline information page.
 

Synonyms:

Amazone Jade, Amazon Stone, Pierre des Amazones (French)

Type Locality:

Unknown; an unspecified locality near the the Amazon River

Year Discovered:

First cited in 1701

View mineral photos:

Amazonite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org (Amazonite)
Mindat.org (Microcline)
Webmineral.com (Microcline)

Amazonite is the pale green to bluish green variety of Microcline which is a member of the Feldspar Group of minerals that also includes Albite, Andesine, Anorthite, Bytownite, Hyalophane, Labradorite, Moonstone, Oligoclase, Orthoclase, Sanidine and Sunstone. The color of Amazonite is usually caused by an higher lead (Pb) content of up to 1.2% PbO. However, there are also indications that the green color of some Microcline is caused by divalent Fe (Szuzkiewicz & Körber, 2010). Amazonite is found in shades of pale green to dark green, aqua green and bluish green.

Some of the most beautiful Amazonite crystals have come from the Pike's Peak and Crystal Peak areas of Colorado, USA. Amazonite from Colorado have been called the best specimens in the world for many years but a new find of Amazonite crystals from Konso, Sidamo-Borana Province, Ethiopia are said to equal or even surpass the crystals from Colorado. The color of these Ethiopian crystals are an intense turquoise blue with outstanding luster.

Amazonite is almost always opaque and makes for beautifully colored cabochons. A find in Mogok, Myanmar (Burma) has produced a small number of extremely rare transparent crystals that have been faceted into gems. Another recent find in Vietnam has produced vivid green crystals that have been faceted into beautiful gems of amazing clarity and color.

Amazonite was first cited in 1701 in French as Pierre des Amazones, meaning stone of the Amazon (referring to the Amazon river), by Nicolas Venette (1633-1698) in his Traité des Pierre (Treatise on Stones); although the name probably goes back even further. It was cited again in 1755 by Antoine-Joseph Dézallier d'Argenville (1680–1765) under the same name in his publication L'Histoire Naturelle. The name was modified to "Amazonite" in 1847 by Johann Friedrich August Breithaupt (1791-1873) for an unspecified type locality near the the Amazon River.

Amazonite distribution in the USA:
   Haystack Mountain, Inyo Mts, Inyo County, California
   Pikes Peak, El Paso County, Colorado
   Crystal Peak area, Park and Teller Counties, Colorado
   Lake George Area, Park County, Colorado
   Gillette Quarry, Haddam Neck, Haddam, Middlesex County, Connecticut
   Hewitt Gem Quarry, Haddam, Middlesex County, Connecticut
   Sea Wall, Southwest Harbor, Hancock County, Maine
   Blackburn Circle locality, Gloucester, Essex County, Massachusetts
   Rockport, Essex County, Massachusetts
   Zapot pegmatite, Gillis Range, Fitting District, Mineral County, Nevada
   Black Cap Mountain, North Conway, Conway, Carroll County, New Hampshire
   Middle Moat Mountain locality, Hale's Location, Carroll County, New Hampshire
   Franklin, Franklin Mining District, Sussex County, New Jersey
   Harding Mine, Picuris District, Taos County, New Mexico
   Valhalla, Mount Pleasant, Westchester County, New York
   Mineral Hill, Elwyn, Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
   Herbb No. 2 Mine, Flat Rock, Powhatan County, Virginia
   Morefield Mine, Winterham, Amelia County, Virginia
   Casper Mountain mine, Catherine No. 1 pegmatite mine, Natrona County, Wyoming

Amazonite distribution in other countries:
   Kabol Province, Afghanistan
   Baila Hill Mine, Koppio, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, Australia
   Broken Hill, Yancowinna County, New South Wales, Australia
   Paynes Find, Yalgoo Shire, Western Australia, Australia
   Tulendeena, Scottsdale district, Tasmania, Australia
   Amazonite occurrence, pegmatite outcrops, Pack, Packalpe, Styria, Austria
   Packsattel, Modriach, Koralpe, Styria, Austria
   Santa Maria de Itabira mine, Santa Maria de Itabira, Minas Gerais, Brazil
   Taquaral, Itinga, Jequitinhonha valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil
   Mogok Township, Pyin-Oo-Lwin District, Mandalay Division, Burma
   Beryl Pit, Lyndoch Township, Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada
   Žd'ár pegmatite, Ruda nad Moravou, Šumperk, Olomouc Region, Moravia, Czech Republic
   Wenshan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China
   Kenticha mine, Kenticha pegmatite field, Sidamo-Borana Province, Ethiopia
   Konso, Sidamo-Borana Province, Ethiopia
   Amazonite pegmatite, Laitila, Southwestern Finland Region, Finland
   Arnsdorf-Hilbersdorf, Vierkirchen, Görlitz, Oberlausitz, Saxony, Germany
   Zuma, Tibesti Mts, Al Kufrah District, Libya
   Imalo, Andrembesoa Commune, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
   Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
   Mount Malosa, Zomba District, Malawi
   Alto Ligonha District, Zambezia Province, Mozambique
   Erongo Mountain, Erongo Region, Namibia
   Klein Spitzkopje granite stock, Spitzkopje Area, Karibib District, Erongo Region, Namibia
   Landsverk 1 Feldspar Quarry, Landsverk, Evje og Hornnes, Aust-Agder, Norway
   Tennvatn pegmatite, Sørfold, Nordland, Norway
   Paszowice, Jawor District, Strzegom-Sobótka Massif, Lower Silesia, Poland
   Taião quarry, Taião, Valença do Minho, Viana do Castelo District, Portugal
   Eastern Sayan, Sayan Mts, Southern Siberia, Russia
   Etyka, Transbaikalia, Eastern-Siberian Region, Russia
   Parusnaya Mt, Western Keivy Massif, Keivy Mountains, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast', Russia
   Kumi, Danyang, South Korea
   Skuleboda, Väne Ryr, Vänersborg, Västergötland, Sweden
   Väne Ryr, Vänersborg, Västergötland, Sweden
   Perzhanskoe ore field, Zhytomyr Oblast', Ukraine

Amazonite gems for sale: