The facts
What suevite actually is
Mineralogically, suevite is an impact breccia of shocked mineral and rock fragments in a partly melted glassy matrix, formed inside an impact crater — Variable: shocked quartz and feldspar clasts, melt glass, with coesite, stishovite and impact microdiamonds in the Ries examples, crystallising in the aggregate system.
The colour is caused by clast-supported grey-green to brown breccia texture; not a colour gem material. That is worth knowing because it determines what heating, light and time can and cannot do to the stone.
A refractometer gives nothing, because the material is opaque, and the specific gravity sits near 2.10-2.60 (porous); cleavage is none.
Where suevite comes from
The recognised sources are Nordlingen and the Ries crater, Bavaria, Germany - the type locality; St George's church in Nordlingen is built from it and contains impact microdiamonds, Steinheim Basin, Germany, Popigai crater, Siberia, Russia (impact-diamond-bearing) and Chicxulub drill cores, Yucatan, Mexico; Rochechouart, France.
Origin affects price in this material, so we name the locality on every quote rather than the country. "African" or "Asian" tells a buyer nothing.
How suevite is treated
Untreated; cut and polished as specimens. Its significance is scientific and historical - Shoemaker and Chao's identification of coesite in Ries suevite in 1960 proved the crater was an impact structure and founded modern impact geology. Bavarian quarries are partly protected as a UNESCO Global Geopark, so collect only where permitted. Not CITES.
None of this is a problem when it is said out loud. It becomes one the moment it is left out.
What suevite is confused with
The usual confusions are Volcanic breccia and tuff (the original, wrong interpretation of the Ries), Ordinary tectonic breccia and Slag.
Because the material is opaque, refractive index is no help. Specific gravity around 2.10-2.60 (porous), hardness of 5-7 (heterogeneous), streak and magnification do the work instead.
What suevite is used for
Suevite is bought by mineral collecting, decorative objects and architecture and interiors — and each of those trades wants a different form of the same material.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen, by the piece or by the square metre.
Durability and care
Hardness 5-7 (heterogeneous); cleavage none. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What suevite costs
Indicative pricing for suevite is $5-50 per specimen; polished plates $30-250.
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 suevite treated, and how?
Untreated; cut and polished as specimens. Its significance is scientific and historical - Shoemaker and Chao's identification of coesite in Ries suevite in 1960 proved the crater was an impact structure and founded modern impact geology. Bavarian quarries are partly protected as a UNESCO Global Geopark, so collect only where permitted. Not CITES.
Where does suevite come from?
Nordlingen and the Ries crater, Bavaria, Germany - the type locality; St George's church in Nordlingen is built from it and contains impact microdiamonds, Steinheim Basin, Germany, Popigai crater, Siberia, Russia (impact-diamond-bearing) and Chicxulub drill cores, Yucatan, Mexico; Rochechouart, France. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is suevite hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 5-7 (heterogeneous) on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does suevite cost?
Indicatively $5-50 per specimen; polished plates $30-250. 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 suevite confused with?
Most often Volcanic breccia and tuff (the original, wrong interpretation of the Ries), Ordinary tectonic breccia and Slag. Since the material is opaque, separation relies on specific gravity near 2.10-2.60 (porous), hardness and magnification.
What is suevite used for besides jewellery?
mineral collecting, decorative objects and architecture and interiors. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for suevite?
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 suevite