The facts
What aventurine Quartzite actually is
Aventurine Quartzite is classified as quartzite - a metamorphosed sandstone - containing reflective platy mineral inclusions that give aventurescence, with the composition Quartz SiO2 with fuchsite (chromian muscovite) for green, hematite or goethite for orange-red, and pyrite for the grey-blue. It crystallises in the aggregate (trigonal quartz) system.
Colour comes from cr3+ in fuchsite gives the green body colour; the glitter is specular reflection from the mica platelets, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.544-1.553 (1.55 spot). Specific gravity around 2.64-2.69. Cleavage: none as a rock. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where aventurine Quartzite comes from
Aventurine Quartzite is produced at Mysore and the Chitradurga district, Karnataka, India - the principal green source, Minas Gerais and Bahia, Brazil, Ural Mountains, Russia and Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How aventurine Quartzite is treated
Dyeing of pale quartzite is common in the cheap bead and carving trade, particularly for the blue and strong green material. Sold constantly as 'Indian jade', which it is not. GOLDSTONE IS NOT AVENTURINE: goldstone is manufactured copper-flecked glass, and the two are confused in almost every tourist market. Not CITES.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What aventurine Quartzite is confused with
In the trade aventurine Quartzite is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Goldstone (manufactured glass), Jade (nephrite and jadeite), Dyed quartzite, Green glass or Amazonite.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.544-1.553 (1.55 spot) and specific gravity 2.64-2.69 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What aventurine Quartzite is used for
Demand for aventurine Quartzite comes from jewellery, carving and sculpture, decorative objects and architecture and interiors, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the carat, by the block or by the piece.
Durability and care
Hardness 6.5-7; cleavage none as a rock. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
With no cleavage plane to worry about, the practical limit is abrasion rather than breakage, and it takes daily wear well.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What aventurine Quartzite costs
As a guide, aventurine Quartzite trades around $1-8 per kilogram rough; cabochons $2-20; carved bowls and figures $10-200.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is aventurine Quartzite treated, and how?
Dyeing of pale quartzite is common in the cheap bead and carving trade, particularly for the blue and strong green material. Sold constantly as 'Indian jade', which it is not. GOLDSTONE IS NOT AVENTURINE: goldstone is manufactured copper-flecked glass, and the two are confused in almost every tourist market. Not CITES.
Where does aventurine Quartzite come from?
Mysore and the Chitradurga district, Karnataka, India - the principal green source, Minas Gerais and Bahia, Brazil, Ural Mountains, Russia and Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is aventurine Quartzite hard enough to wear every day?
Yes. At 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale with no cleavage plane, it handles daily wear well. The practical limit is gradual abrasion rather than chipping.
How much does aventurine Quartzite cost?
Indicatively $1-8 per kilogram rough; cabochons $2-20; carved bowls and figures $10-200. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is aventurine Quartzite confused with?
Most often Goldstone (manufactured glass), Jade (nephrite and jadeite), Dyed quartzite, Green glass and Amazonite. A refractive index of 1.544-1.553 (1.55 spot) and a specific gravity near 2.64-2.69 separate it quickly.
What is aventurine Quartzite used for besides jewellery?
carving and sculpture, decorative objects and architecture and interiors. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for aventurine quartzite?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about aventurine quartzite