Aventurine Quartz semiprecious gemstone index and mineral information

Aventurine is a variety of quartz that has a spangled appearance due to sparkling internal reflections from uniformly oriented tiny inclusions of other minerals.  Aventurine quartz is named for the type of glass discovered in Italy at the beginning of the 1800s; it was called Ventura because the glass was discovered by accident or luck.

A common form of Aventurine quartz is green but it can also be found in blue or gray. Green aventurine is colored by green fuchsite mica; brown aventurine is colored by pyrite; and reddish brown aventurine is due to hematite.  Other inclusions can color the mineral orange, bluish-white, yellow, or bluish-green.  It is always massive. It is used for jewelry, where it is cut en cabochon, for vases and bowls, and for other ornamental objects

Aventurine is found in the Ural Mountains of Russia, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, at numerous localities in Minas Gerais, Brazil, and in Rutland, Vermont.

Aventurine can be confused with iridescent analcite, aventurine feldspar, Emerald, Jade, as well as aventurine glass.

Mohs’ Hardness: 7