Amazonite - the newest addition to our natural stone inventory

Life stands before me like an eternal spring with new and brilliant clothes.

— Carl Friedrich Gauss

When Carl Friedrich Gauss said that, he must have been describing Amazonite, the newest addition to our inventory. Full of life and color, Amazonite, also known as “Amazon stone,” is a semi opaque blue-green variety of microcline feldspar. Amazonite is a mineral of limited occurrence and is present in parts of Brazil, Colorado and Virginia in the United States, Australia and Madagascar.

For many years, the source of amazonite’s color was a mystery. Naturally, many people assumed the color was due to copper because copper compounds often have blue and green colors. More recent studies suggest that the blue-green color results from small quantities of lead and water in the feldspar.

Amazonite is a mostly opaque stone textured with pale milky-white cloudiness or streaking ranging from light green to greenish blue to deep green/blue. Amazonite’s soft and attractive color closely resembles nephrite and jadeite. Amazonite’s appearance is very distinctive with its grid-like, mottled, green and white pattern. The color of amazonite is due to the presence of lead within the stone and color variation may exist within a single stone.

Amazonite can form the largest known crystals of any mineral and has been known to be confused with turquoise and jade.

Amazonite is believed to have many metaphysical powers. Amazonite stones are also thought to have tremendous healing abilities. Similar to jade, amazonite is associated with money, luck and overall success. It’s known as the “gambler’s stone,” encouraging good luck and fortune.

Amazonite is said to have a soothing effect on the nervous system. Since the nervous system controls our emotions a great deal, this stone is said to soothe tense and aggravated situations and to enhance love. It is also used to treat fatigue, trauma or anything else that may take energy away from a person. It has a gentle healing quality that is useful to nearly everyone in a general manner. Needless to say more as to why it has hundreds, if not thousands, of applications. Each one of them is absolutely stunning.

Regardless if it’s transformed into furniture…