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Fake vs Real Amazonite
Are you unsure if your Amazonite is real? Is it a fake being passed off as the real deal? Are you confusing it with another blue-green stone? Let's learn to pick out genuine Amazonite crystals for your collection.
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What is Amazonite?
Amazonite is the only blue-green crystal variety of Microcline Feldspar. Becoming familiar with the real thing will help you weed out the fakes. To learn in-depth, visit Amazonite Meaning.
How can you tell if your Amazonite is real?
The best way to know if your Amazonite is real or fake is to buy from a reputable seller who knows what they are selling you.
If you do not have access to a reputable seller, here are some tips to follow to tell if your Amazonite is real:
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Real Amazonite is a 6-6.5 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. It can not be scratched by a knife, but it can scratch glass.
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Real Amazonite has a stable color. Testing with acetone should not remove any color from the stone.
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Real Amazonite will have inclusions. Notice the white cloudy matrix, mineral inclusions, veins, craters, dips, platelets, and imperfections in your stone. You may not find these in a fake.
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Real Amazonite is not magnetic. It can have magnetic mineral inclusions, but it is not magnetic on its own.
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Real Amazonite will never have air bubbles or mold marks. These are an indication of glass. Use a magnifying jeweler's loupe to help you see into the stone.
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Real Amazonite does not react to acid. Fakes like Calcite will fizz under hydrochloric acid or vinegar.
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Real Amazonite ranges in pale to earthy blue-green. It will never have unnaturally bright colors like dyed stones do.
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Real Amazonite will always have a white streak. Despite its outward appearance, Real Amazonite will have a white or clear powder in the crystal streak test.
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Real Amazonite is always cold to the touch. It will take a while to heat up in your hands, whereas plastic or resin will be relatively warmer.
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Real Amazonite is opaque. Once in a while, you may see some translucency, but never transparency.
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Real Amazonite may have a weak fluorescence. It may show an olive or yellowish green hue under UV light, but it may show nothing at all. Beware that mineral inclusions may have different colors of fluorescence.
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Real Amazonite is not heat-treated. Heat treating can fade its colors rather than enhance them, like in other stones.
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Real Amazonite is only found in a certain color range. It can show blue-green, yellow, orange, brown, gray, white, and black. Feldspar can be other colors, but they would not be Amazonite.
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Real Amazonite can be chatoyant. This is a shimmering iridescence on its surface.
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Real Amazonite has a specific gravity between 2.56 and 2.58. Here is a video on how to measure your stone's density at home.
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Real Amazonite has a refractive index range of 1.522 to 1.530. This test requires a refractometer.
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Real Amazonite will not dissolve in water. Faux Amazonite, made of clay or other materials, may dissolve.
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Real Amazonite will not burn. It can crack and fade under high heat, but it will not ignite. Plastic and resin will burn and melt under heat.
None of these tests is conclusive in itself. If you are still unsure, you can send your stone to a certified gemological laboratory for testing. You can also find additional tips in the Crystal Identification Help.
What is Icy Amazonite?
Icy Amazonite, or Ice Amazonite, is real Amazonite impregnated with resin. While not fake, it is enhanced, and the vendor should reveal this treatment.
If you are suspicious, soak it in acetone for a few hours and see if the white resin is revealed on the surface of the stone.
Sometimes, Icy Amazonite refers to a dyed Quartzite, which has no Amazonite in its structure. Quartzite will not have white veins and may look more translucent than Amazonite. Soak it in acetone to see if it leaks dye.
Is it real Amazonite or another blue stone?
Some vendors may be naively or deceptively mislabeling other blue-green stones as Amazonite. The sting is not so bad if you end up with a more valuable gemstone over a cheaper stone, but if you are seeking Amazonite, you want to get the real thing!
Let's check out the differences between Amazonite and commonly confused crystals:
Amazonite vs Calcite
A lot of fake Amazonite in the gemstone market is dyed Calcite. This is especially true when you are buying beads.
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Amazonite is a 6-6.5 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. Calcite is a 3. It will easily be scratched.
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Amazonite does not react to acid, but Calcite does.
Amazonite vs Aquamarine
Another crystal that is sometimes confused with Amazonite is Aquamarine.
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Amazonite is a 6-6.5 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. Aquamarine is 7.5-8.
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Amazonite is mostly opaque, while Aquamarine can be glassy and translucent.
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Amazonite often shows white webbing, while Aquamarine has a more uniform color.
Amazonite vs Larimar
Amazonite and Larimar are different crystals, although they can have similar blue-green tones.
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Amazonite is a 6-6.5 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. Larimar is a 4.5-5.
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Amazonite is a feldspar. Larimar is a pectolite.
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Amazonite is found worldwide. Larimar is only found in the Dominican Republic, which makes it rarer.
Amazonite vs Turquoise
Amazonite and Turquoise can have the same intense blue-green color, but that is where the similarities end.
- Amazonite is a 6-6.5 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. Turquoise is 5-6.
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Amazonite forms with a white to gray background, and Turquoise has a black background.
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Something that you can not tell by sight alone is that both stones are formed differently within the Earth. Whereas Amazonite's color comes from lead, Turquoise's blue-green color comes from copper.
Shop Real Amazonite Stones
The power of real Amazonite can never be replaced by fakes. Go ahead, try it for yourself. Here are real stones from the Satin Crystals Amazonite Collection to add to your treasures:
Crystal Guides
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Have any questions about crystals? Comment below! Sheila, Ann, and Lisa Satin would love to hear from you. We'll reply soon.
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