Amazonite

Amazonite

     Potassium aluminum silicate
     Color: green, bluish-green, frequently non-uniform color caused by the pertiratums ingrowths of white and yellowish albite.
     Amazonite has prismatic shape of crystals in which the polysynthetic and trellised doubles which are settling down perpendicularly or obliquely to the position of cleavage. These crystals has mass up to 25% from a lump of amazonite. In the amazonite there are characteristic pertiratums ingrowths corpuscles of albite which form contrast figure on a green and blue background.
     Amazonite or the amazonian gemstone (it is named on the location of the river of Amazon), was applied from the time of an extreme antiquity. A fine beads and amulets from amazonite were made in Ancient Egypt, and also are known in early cultures of Central and South America. Today, we produces jewelry boxes, vases, jewelry (rings, ear rings, brooches, beads), cabochons.
     Amazonite is settled down in granite pegmatites and amazonits granits. In pegmatits amazonite is formed large blocks allocations (up to 2 meters and more), separate isolations blocks in the size up to 1.55 meters, and also fine corpuscles. In granites amazonite is submitted by usually fine corpuscles, but in pegmatits zones there are crystals of the size up to 10 sm. Commercial deposits of high-quality amazonite has large blocks and crystals of this mineral are known on Kola peninsula (Western Keyvi) and on Southern Ural where in Il'menskih mountains in 18 century for the first time was found. Amazonite pegmatites and granits are revealed in Eastern Siberia, on Ukraine, in Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Northern Karelia.
     Now on the pegmatit deposits of Kola peninsula (Russia) amazonite is extracted from opencast. It is subdivided into four versions by colors. Also there are several kinds of amazonite which is subdivided by the characteristic of pertiratums ingrowths corpuscles of quartz and albit. It is applied to manufacturing of small art gemstone products (vases, ashtrays, jewelry boxes) and cabochons - inserts in jewelry (rings, brooches, cuff links etc.), and also a beads.

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