Aventurine
General Information
History
Aventurine, as we now know the stone, has a long history having been discovered as beads, talismans and tools in archaeological digs as far back as the Omo Valley in Ethiopia (2.5 million years ago). The name that we currently know this stone as draws its name from the Italian word avventurino, meaning by change, risk or luck, Aventurine is a type of quartz. With a name that rolls off the tongue and so many beautiful colours available it is hard not to love this stone. First discovered in the 18th century, this stone draws its name from an accident. The story goes that a glass worker accidentally let some copper filings fall into the molten glass, producing glass that sparkled. This glass was called avventurino, it is from this glass that the stone gained it’s name as a mineral displaying a similar appearance though it was initially known as goldstone.
Until the 19th century aventurine was sometimes described as the “stone of the Amazons” as the deposits in Brazil were believed to have supplied the jewels of Amazon warrior queens. Further back in history Tibetans decorated their statues with the stone we now know as aventurine, using it in the eyes in the belief that each shimmer of light increased the statue’s visionary powers.
Geography
Aventurine is found in many locations around the world including India, South America, Russia, Spain, China, Chile and other regions of northern africa.
Geology
This beautiful crystal is a translucent to opaque variety of microcrystalline quartz and contains small inclusions of shiny minerals which gives the stone a sparkling effect known as aventurescence. The type of inclusion will determine the colour of the sheen or sparkle for example inclusions of mics will give the stone a silverish sheen whereas hematite would give a reddish or grey sparkle.
Physical Properties
Appearance
Aventurine is most commonly found in green but it can be found in shades of blue, red, orange, grey and brown. This beautiful crystal can be found in translucent to opaque and typically has a shimmering quality known as aventurescence.
Moh's Scale
Aventurine measures a 7 on the Mohs Scale. This crystal’s harness makes it durable though it can be sheared so it is best stored separate from other gemstones.
Cleaning & Care
As with many quartz crystals Aventurine can fade with prolonged exposure to the sun so be sure to store this stone out of direct sunlight and don’t charge in the sun. It can also react to extreme temperatures. Should your Aventurine become dirty you can simply clean it by rubbing it lightly with a clean, soft, untreated cloth. If needed you can clean it with a soft cloth and warm, soapy water to remove any dirt clinging to the stone before drying carefully.
Spiritual Care
Essential Uses
Aventurine is a stone of sublime prosperity and purpose. It is great for helping to diffuse negative emotion and encourage optimism and promote open-mindedness. A stone for reinforcing leadership qualities, decisiveness and encouraging perseverance, aventurine also brings balance and stabilises emotions while promoting feelings of overall well-being. Another handy benefit of this quartz is that it is believed to protect against environmental pollution!
Our Family Uses
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