{"id":60342,"date":"2024-06-19T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-19T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/a-gemstone-with-mysterious-river-colored-amazonite\/"},"modified":"2025-06-02T14:18:47","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T06:18:47","slug":"a-gemstone-with-mysterious-river-colored-amazonite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/en\/a-gemstone-with-mysterious-river-colored-amazonite\/","title":{"rendered":"A gemstone with mysterious river-colored \u2014 Amazonite"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#\u4ecb\u7d39\">Introduction<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#\u5929\u6cb3\u77f3-amazonite\">Amazonite<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#\u5929\u6cb3\u77f3\u5546\u696d\u50f9\u503c\">Commercial Value of Amazonite<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#\u5176\u4ed6\u9577\u77f3\u5bb6\u65cf\uff1a\">Other feldspar groups:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\" id=\"\u4ecb\u7d39\"><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Amazonite is named after its first discovery in the Amazon River basin. Its blue-green color evokes the rivers of the Amazon rainforest, while its name &#8220;Tengaishi&#8221; is a phonetic translation from Japanese, meaning &#8220;river in the sky.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Amazonite is a blue-green or green-blue variety of microcline feldspar, sometimes appearing green, with transparency ranging from translucent to slightly transparent. Its most distinctive feature is the grid-like pattern of blue-green and white squares, caused by its twinning structure. Due to its well-developed cleavage, the cleavage surface often displays a slight shimmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">High-quality Amazonite can be used for cabochon gemstones, while slightly lower-quality stones are suitable for carving materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Microcline feldspar comes in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, blue, green, and red, but only green, blue-green, or green-blue microcline can be referred to as Amazonite. Vivid green Amazonite is also commonly used as an imitation of jade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignfull is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-container-core-column-is-layout-f7a85e60 wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-right:0;padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-left:0;font-size:0px;line-height:0\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/50721947656_7d5bcd1c40_o.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/50721947656_7d5bcd1c40_o.jpg\" alt=\"Amazonite\" class=\"wp-image-39037\" style=\"width:491px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">(Figure 1) <sup data-fn=\"a1cfaeb8-9a85-4e7a-a83c-76ca4f6d17bd\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"a1cfaeb8-9a85-4e7a-a83c-76ca4f6d17bd-link\" href=\"#a1cfaeb8-9a85-4e7a-a83c-76ca4f6d17bd\">1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"\u5929\u6cb3\u77f3-amazonite\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?sca_esv=dad2937f84c7a69c&amp;sca_upv=1&amp;q=Amazonite&amp;udm=2&amp;fbs=AEQNm0DPcbt9JsD8-VaKV8XIi-p3QcqTZkwjeF9siTT32SsHQbnxrfbiK7Um2Z8decj5QTj-OdpFXdjxcAwO6TV9c21wPtbz1MK5bVav-XGpacG_ZZ3T6xO8WEzR-Zr8EVOtwZ9oLH2I8OiaM2aOPH8KaH44nb__ep1GZqII_fbg8pbMsTWnJ1t0tXhoPOs7ygpFlpYsxKzF&amp;sa=X&amp;sqi=2&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiB4vK-i-KGAxWSja8BHQ90CegQtKgLegQIDRAB&amp;biw=1536&amp;bih=695&amp;dpr=1.25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Amazonite<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"line-height:2\">Crystal system: triclinic crystal system<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"line-height:2\">Hardness: 6~6.5<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"line-height:2\">Specific gravity\uff1a2.56~2.62<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"line-height:2\">Luster: Vitreous luster<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"line-height:2\">Transparency: Translucent to semi-transparent<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"line-height:2\">Color: Green, teal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"line-height:2\">Index of refraction\uff1a1.518~1.527<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"line-height:2\">Birefringence: 0.006<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"line-height:2\">Fluorescence: Weak and light red to orange flourescence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"line-height:2\">Cleavage: complete cleavage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"line-height:2\">Characteristics: Grid-like structure, well-developed cleavage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"line-height:2\">Imitation: Copper-bearing quartzite<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\" id=\"\u5929\u6cb3\u77f3\u5546\u696d\u50f9\u503c\"><strong>Commercial Value of Amazonite<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Ornamental<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Amazonite&#8217;s most common imitation is a copper-containing blue-green quartzite produced in China, commonly known as &#8220;Guizhou Jade.&#8221; The most significant differences between the two are that copper-containing quartzite has higher hardness, lacks cleavage, and does not exhibit the grid-like structure of Amazonite, instead displaying a granular structure or even a adventurine effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">When selecting Amazonite, the best quality is determined by vivid, pure colors such as blue or emerald green, transparency with minimal inclusions, and evenly distributed or inconspicuous grid patterns. Emerald green Amazonite is often used as a substitute for jade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-0-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size\">Amazonite is more prone to damage than other feldspars due to its well-developed cleavage. Its twinning structure also makes it more fragile, so extra caution is needed to avoid impacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-0-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size\">Some sellers enhance Amazonite&#8217;s value by acid-washing the stone to remove internal patterns and impurities, which increases transparency but damages the stone&#8217;s internal structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-0-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size\">Identifying treated Amazonite can be done by comparing weight or observing stone patterns. Acid-washed Amazonite will generally be lighter when comparing two stones of similar size, and stones that have undergone excessive acid treatment will be almost entirely transparent with no visible natural stone patterns, unlike untreated stones, which typically retain some mineral streaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u5176\u4ed6\u9577\u77f3\u5bb6\u65cf\uff1a\"><strong>Other feldspar groups:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-wp-embed is-provider-honway-materials-leading-brand-of-diamond-grinding-and-polishing-tools-in-taiwan wp-block-embed-honway-materials-leading-brand-of-diamond-grinding-and-polishing-tools-in-taiwan\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/%e5%a4%aa%e9%99%bd%e7%9f%b3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-honway-materials-leading-brand-of-diamond-grinding-and-polishing-tools-in-taiwan wp-block-embed-honway-materials-leading-brand-of-diamond-grinding-and-polishing-tools-in-taiwan\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/%e6%9c%88%e5%85%89%e7%9f%b3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-honway-materials-leading-brand-of-diamond-grinding-and-polishing-tools-in-taiwan wp-block-embed-honway-materials-leading-brand-of-diamond-grinding-and-polishing-tools-in-taiwan\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/%e6%8b%89%e9%95%b7%e7%9f%b3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-medium-font-size\"><blockquote><p>Follow Honway to learn more about the characteristics of gemstones~<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo Credit:<\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-elements-7945d15369fc2883aec9f1e77d12d742 wp-block-footnotes has-text-color has-ast-global-color-0-color has-small-font-size\"><li id=\"a1cfaeb8-9a85-4e7a-a83c-76ca4f6d17bd\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jsjgeology\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">James St. John<\/a>,https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jsjgeology\/50721947656\/in\/photostream\/ <a href=\"#a1cfaeb8-9a85-4e7a-a83c-76ca4f6d17bd-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 1\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amazonite is a blue-green or green-blue variety of microcline feldspar, first discovered in the Amazon River basin. Its name comes from the Japanese &#8220;Tengaishi,&#8221; which means &#8220;river in the sky.&#8221; The distinct characteristic of Amazonite is its grid-like structure of blue-green and white squares caused by its twinning structure. High-quality Amazonite can be used as gemstones, while lower-quality stones are used for carving. Common imitations include copper-containing blue-green quartzite from China, known as &#8220;Guizhou Jade,&#8221; which differs from Amazonite in its higher hardness, lack of cleavage, and absence of the grid structure. When selecting Amazonite, look for pure color, transparency with few inclusions, and evenly distributed or inconspicuous grids. It is essential to avoid impact to prevent cracking. Some sellers use acid treatments to remove impurities, which may increase transparency but damage the structure. Methods to identify Amazonite include weight comparison and observing the stone&#8217;s pattern.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39039,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"[{\"content\":\"<a href=\\\"https:\\\/\\\/www.flickr.com\\\/photos\\\/jsjgeology\\\/\\\">James St. John<\\\/a>,https:\\\/\\\/www.flickr.com\\\/photos\\\/jsjgeology\\\/50721947656\\\/in\\\/photostream\\\/\",\"id\":\"a1cfaeb8-9a85-4e7a-a83c-76ca4f6d17bd\"}]"},"categories":[2251],"tags":[2292],"class_list":["post-60342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gemstones","tag-feldspar-group"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60342"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60342\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/honwaygroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}