Prasiolite

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Description

A rare, green transparent Quartz that contains small amounts of hydrated nickel silicate. Prasiolite is a rare stone in nature, but can sometimes be formed by the heat treatment of Amethyst. It is sometimes confused with Chrysoprase, which is more translucent.

Synonyms and Related Terms

vermarine; lime citrine; praseolite quartz; prase; chert

Physical and Chemical Properties

  • Trigonal crystal system. Low birefringence. Low thermal expansion.
  • Fracture = conchoidal
  • Luster = vitreous
  • Streak = colorless to white
  • Fluorescence = generally inert
  • Pleochroism = weak
Mohs Hardness 7.0
Density 2.65-2.66 g/ml
Refractive Index 1.544; 1.553
Birefringence 0.009

Resources and Citations

  • Mineralogy Database: Quartz
  • Gem Identification Lab Manual, Gemological Institute of America, 2016. (Praseolite quartz)
  • Wikipedia: Prasiolite (Accessed Dec 2022)

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