Prasiolite (also known as green quartz, green amethyst or vermarine) is a green variety of quartz, with its color typically coming from ions within the crystal structure.
Natural prasiolite is exceedingly rare, having been first discovered in the early 19th century in Lower Silesia, Poland[
]
Nearly all commercially available prasiolite is artificial, either produced by heat-treating Amethyst from certain locations[ Significant prasiolite production began in the mid-1950s with the discovery that amethysts from the Montezuma mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil turned green when heat-treated.]
Most prasiolite sold is used in jewellery settings, where it can substitute for far more expensive gemstones, such as peridot, tsavorite, and emerald.[
]
Green quartz is sometimes incorrectly called green amethyst,
The word prasiolite literally means "leek-green stone" and is derived from Ancient Greek prason meaning "leek" and lithos meaning "stone".
Natural prasiolite is a very light, translucent green. Darker green quartz is generally the result of artificial treatment,[Gems and Gemstones: Timeless Natural Beauty of the Mineral World By Lance Grande, Allison Augustyn, p.91] with lighter-colored prasiolite often irradiated with gamma rays as an attempt to obtain deeper colors.
See also
External links
