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Variety · Silicate

Amazonite

KAlSi₃O₈

Blue-green microcline colored by lead and water molecules.

Hardness6–6.5
Crystal systemTriclinic
ClassSilicate
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Amazonite specimen

crystals of hematite, crystals of microcline var. amazonite : Pikes Peak Granite, Teller Co., Colorado, USA — Photo: Parent Géry · CC BY-SA 3.0

Amazonite

Also known as: Amazon stone.

Amazonite, also known as amazonstone, is a green tectosilicate mineral, a variety of the potassium feldspar called microcline. Its chemical formula is KAlSi3O8, which is polymorphic to orthoclase. The name is derived from the Amazon River, from which green stones were once believed to have been obtained, although it remains uncertain whether those stones were actually amazonite.

Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

Amazonite is a mineral variety of Microcline, with the chemical formula KAlSi₃O₈.

It crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system.

Key properties: Mohs hardness 6–6.5; typically green or blue.

Collections: Gemstones, Collector Favorites.

Index entry. This entry combines official IMA/RRUFF species data with published physical-property data and a Wikipedia introduction — a full written entry hasn’t been published yet. Browse more A minerals or help write this entry.