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Prasiolite

Mineral, quartz variety From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Prasiolite
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Prasiolite (also known as green quartz, green amethyst or vermarine) is a green variety of quartz, with its color typically coming from Fe2+ ions within the crystal structure.[1][4]

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Natural prasiolite is exceedingly rare, having been first discovered in 1990 in Lower Silesia, Poland with only a few other deposits known to exist.[4][5] Natural prasiolite deposits include Płóczki Górne (Poland), Bahia (Brazil), Thunder Bay (Canada), and Farm Rooisand (Namibia).[6]

Nearly all commercially available prasiolite is artificial, either produced by heat-treating amethysts from certain locations[7] to 400-500°C,[8] or irradiating yellow-tinged quartzes.[5] Most amethyst will turn yellow or orange when heated, producing heat-treated amethysts which are often marketed as citrine, but some amethyst will turn green when treated.[8] Significant prasiolite production began in the mid-1950s with the discovery that amethysts from the Montezuma mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil turned green when heat-treated.[9]

Most prasiolite sold is used in jewellery settings, where it can substitute for far more expensive gemstones, such as peridot, tsavorite, and emerald[10] Prasiolite used for jewelry comes from two main sources: heat-treated amethyst from the Montezuma mine, and irradiated yellow-tinged quartz from various locations throughout Brazil.[4]

Green quartz is sometimes incorrectly called green amethyst,[11] which is not an acceptable name for the material according to Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.[12] Other names for green quartz include vermarine and lime citrine.[13]

The word prasiolite literally means "leek-green stone" and is derived from Ancient Greek πράσον prason meaning "leek" and λίθος lithos meaning "stone".[14][15] The stone was given its name due to its green-colored appearance.

Natural prasiolite is a very light, translucent green. Darker green quartz is generally the result of artificial treatment.[16]

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