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)