Aventurine Stone

Aventurine Stone

Aventurine is composed of two gem minerals, one is a plagioclase feldspar and the other is quartz . Both have a sparkling reflection from oriented minute inclusions of mica or hematite, which cause a slight metallic iridescence.

The most common colour of aventurine is green, but it may also be orange, brown, yellow, blue, or gray. Aventurine is found in India, Chile, Spain, Russia, Brazil, Austria, and Tanzania. It is a 6.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

Aventurine has been confused with amazonite and jade. Dark green Aventurine generally has inclusions (due to green fuchsite mica and perhaps a bit of pyrite) which creates a speckled appearance. This is an easy identifying factor often called aventurescence.

It is interesting that the name for the stone is derived from an accident. Sometime during the 18th century, Venetian glass workers were preparing molten glass when copper filings accidentally fell into the batch producing a glass with sparkles. The name aventurine comes from the Italian “a ventura,” which means”by chance”.

For many centuries aventurine is used for jewelry, candelabra, girandoles, pipes, vases and bowls (sometimes very large), and for other ornamental objects. Unique ancient vase made of bright aventurine is displayed in Hermitage, art museum in St. Petersburg (Russia).

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