Minerals

Minerals has been an interest of mine for as long as I can remember. My grandfather has always educated me on the various stones he has come across. For example, once he gave me an aventurine stone that was handwrapped from a friend of his in Mexico. Studying about the properties of stones/minerals and their interaction with light (Phosphorescence) has been an interesting component itself in this class. The adventurine stone/crystal may seem gloomy or absent from light, however when placed over light you might see its green and sometimes brownish color. That's why it is one of my favorites.

The History of Aventurine :

Aventurine gets its name from the Italian word "avventura"--by chance, risk or luck. Its name is tied to the creation of goldstone, and the name for the manmade material was transferred to the natural material once the gemstone was identified...

Until the 19th Century, aventurine was called the "stone of the Amazons," as the deposits in Brazil were thought to have supplied the jewels of Amazon warrior queens.

Aventurine has a number of bynames and trade names, including adventurine, adventurine quartz and Indian "jade." Besides being used for beads and jewelry-making, aventurine is also carved into ornamental or décor pieces such as bowls, vases and statuettes. It has occasionally appeared in landscaping and as building material for monuments (Mindat.org).

Mindat.org - Mines, Minerals and More. https://www.mindat.org/min-436.html.

Mineral Information:

Tekto silicates,

quartz (silica group)

Chemical Composition:

SiO₂

Color:

Green, gold-brown

Hardness:

7 (Mohs)

Specific Gravity:

2.65

Refractive Index:

1.544 - 1.563

Fun Fact - Aventurine colors include blue, yellow, orange, brown, gray, peach, and even silver. The most common color, however, is green. Aventurine's gleaming green tones result from an inclusion called fuschite, a chromium-rich variety of mica. The more fuschite an aventurine has, the more opaque and richer its saturation will be. Aventurine is well known for its distinct metallic sparkle as well. This glimmering quality is known as aventurescence and comes from mineral platelet inclusions. With enough aventurescence, aventurine’s color can change entirely! (Aventurine Stone: History, Meaning, Uses & More).
“Aventurine Stone: History, Meaning, Uses & More.” Gem Rock Auctions, https://www.gemrockauctions.com/learn/a-z-of-gemstones/aventurine-stone.

Yellow Calcite (CaCO3)

“Geology and Earth Science News and Information.” Geology, 2005, https://geology.com/.

CAlcite:

Calcite is the principal constituent of limestone and marble. These rocks are extremely common and make up a significant portion of the Earth's crust. They serve as one of the largest carbon repositories on our planet. The properties of calcite make it one of the most widely used minerals. The mineral is used for many purposes more than any other mineral, including construction material, abrasive, agricultural soil treatment, construction aggregate, pigment, pharmaceutical and more.

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