Name/Title
Aventurine Stone EggEntry/Object ID
2004.5.29Description
Description: green with a hint of blue 3 inches long
Aventurine is a form of quartz, characterised by its translucency and the presence of platy mineral inclusions that give a shimmering or glistening effect termed aventurescence.
Aventurine (unknown scale)The most common colour of aventurine is green, but it may also be orange, brown, yellow, blue, or gray. Chrome-bearing fuchsite (a variety of muscovite mica) is the classic inclusion, and gives a silvery green or blue sheen. Oranges and browns are attributed to hematite or goethite. Because aventurine is a rock, its physical properties vary: its specific gravity may lie between 2.64-2.69 and its hardness is somewhat lower than single-crystal quartz at around 6.5.
Rock Origin: Post-depositional
Rock Type: Igneous
Variety: Aventurine feldspar or sunstone can be confused with orange and red aventurine quartzite, although the former is generally of a higher transparency. Aventurine is often banded and an overabundance of fuchsite may render it opaque, in which case it may be mistaken for malachite at first glance.
The name aventurine derives from the Italian "a ventura" meaning "by chance". This is an allusion to the lucky discovery of aventurine glass or goldstone at some point in the 18th century. Although it was known first, goldstone is now a common imitation of aventurine and sunstone. Goldstone is distinguished visually from the latter two minerals by its coarse flecks of copper, dispersed within the glass in an unnaturally uniform manner. It is usually a golden brown, but may also be found in blue or green.
The majority of green and blue-green aventurine originates in India (particularly in the vicinity of Mysore and Madras) where it is employed by prolific artisans. Creamy white, gray and orange material is found in Chile, Spain and Russia. Most material is carved into beads and figurines with only the finer examples fashioned into cabochons, later being set into jewellery.
Main markets for aventurine are landscape stone, building stone, aquaria, monuments, and jewellery.Collection
Suomynona Mineral CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2004.5Source or Donor
Suomynona Egg CollectionAcquisition Method
DonationLocation
Category
PermanentMoved By
Scott LonganDate
October 29, 2009Location
Shelf
BottomCabinet
Case # 7Room
Mentzer HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
Permanent