What on Earth Is Prasiolite?

Prasiolite is a light green variety of quartz with a hardness of 7, and most of it is made by heating amethyst, because natural stones are rare. It is durable enough for rings, pendants and bracelets, but the green can fade in strong heat and sunlight. Below: how it forms, how to care for it and what the green stands for in crystal lore.

It is often cut into faceted stones and made into jewellery. The green is associated with creativity, optimism and prosperity, and in crystal lore prasiolite is linked with clearing negative energy and feeling in charge of your thoughts and emotions.

The Physical Properties of Prasiolite

Prasiolite comes in a range of green colours of varying intensities. It can be leafy green, yellowish green, or petrol green. Most prasiolite stones in the market today are light in colour and saturation. Tiny specimens have a more subtle greenness due to their very light saturation, whereas regular-sized ones display a richer green colour.

As a type of quartz, prasiolite is a durable stone with a hardness rating of 7. It shares the same wearing characteristics with other quartz varieties namely amethyst, citrine, rose quartz, and smoky quartz.

Since it doesn't have cleavage, prasiolite does not break easily at the slightest impact. This makes the stone suitable for jewellery use. You'll see prasiolite fashioned into various forms of jewellery like rings, pendants, bracelets, beads, earrings, etc.

Naturally occurring prasiolites are rare. The majority of supplies are amethyst stones that have been heat treated in the lab to turn them from purple to green. Lab-treated prasiolite stones must be stored away from direct heat and sunlight as their green colour can fade. Keeping your prasiolite jewellery or gemstone inside a box or cabinet situated in a dark place can help preserve the greenness of your stone.

The History of Prasiolite

The name prasiolite comes from the Greek words prason meaning leek and lithos meaning stone, so the word prasiolite literally means green-coloured stone.

According to The Quartz Page, the first natural prasiolite specimens were found in the early 19^th century in P?óczki Górne (located in Lower Silesia, Poland). The specimens were discovered outlining the external layer of geodes.

Since the 1950s, this quartz variety has been mined in a small deposit in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Although it is also found in Canada, Uruguay, the USA, and Zambia.

Natural prasiolite has a light green shade which is produced during geological metamorphism. In this process, an amethyst-bearing rock is heated by lava flows containing iron. This change in chemical composition turns the purple crystal to green, resulting in prasiolite.

Since naturally occurring prasiolite has been rare as of late, gemologists have come up with artificial means to produce the stone in a lab setup:

• Heating - In this method, natural amethyst is heated in a laboratory oven to 500 degrees Celsius to turn the stone's colour to green or yellowish green.
• Irradiation - This is another method that aims to produce prasiolite with a light green shade by subjecting amethyst to temperatures reaching 150 degrees Celsius.

These procedures are widely accepted in the gem trade and have been a common practice to meet the evolving demands of the market. In fact, many gemstones used in jewellery and crystal collections wouldn't have existed had it not for these innovative methods.

The Lore of Prasiolite

Older crystal books list prasiolite among stones associated with the heart chakra and with green, growing things. These are traditions only.

People often choose it as a gift for new beginnings because of its fresh green colour.

The Metaphysical Properties of Prasiolite

In crystal lore, prasiolite is known as a stone that turns negative energy into positive, and a symbol of emotional steadiness, courage and tenacity in difficult situations.

It is also associated with clear thinking and focus, so students and professionals who do a lot of research and analysis sometimes keep a piece on their desk.

Prasiolite is associated with the crown, third eye, and heart chakras in chakra tradition. People wear prasiolite jewellery or meditate with it while focusing on these chakras:

• Crown chakra - Linked with spiritual awareness and a wider view of yourself and the world around you.
• Third eye chakra - Linked with appreciating the beauty around you, and with intuition and perception.
• Heart chakra - This green quartz is linked with love, joy, compassion and inner peace, and with connection to yourself and others.

In crystal lore, prasiolite is also a stone of abundance, fortune and wealth. People keep it nearby as they set intentions for their ambitions and desires and keep working toward their goals.

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