Stone Mania

Aventurine is a form of quartz characterised by its translucency and the presence of platy mineral inclusions that give a shimmering or glistening effect which is known as aventurescence.  This can best be seen when aventurine is moved in front of a light.

The most common colour of aventurine is green, but there is also orange aventurine, brown aventurine, yellow and blue aventurine and also grey.

Its name was taken from aventurine glass also known as goldstone due to the similarity in the spangly appearance that both have. 

The majority of green and blue aventurine originates in India, particularly in the vicinity of Mysore and Madras where it is used by artisans.  Creamy white, grey and orange aventurine is found in Chile, Spain and Russia whilst other varieties can also be found in Brazil, Austria and Tanzania.

This gemstone has been used as a lucky talisman and is popular amongst gamblers.  Crystal healers believe it to be an all purpose healer, used to reduce stress, develop confidence, imagination and improve prosperity. A tale from ancient Tibet says aventurine was used to improve short sightedness and to increase the wearer's creativity.  Many believe it has the ability to calm a troubled spirit and bring about inner peace.  It can also be used to induce psychic dreams, to bring answers or to see into the future and aventurine is also said to increase clairvoyance.

Around 2.5 million years ago in the Omo valley of Ethiopia, some of the earliest primitive stone tools such as axes were made of quartzites and aventurine was found amongst them.  These materials were used because of their hardness and their isotropic brittleness which made it possible to shape the tools with relative ease.

Aventurine has been used for many centuries in the making of jewellery, vases, bowls and other ornamental pieces.  A unique ancient vase made of bright green aventurine is displayed in the Hermitage Art Museum in St. Petersburg.

Aventurine is the anniversary gemstone for the 8th year of marriage and is graded 6.5 to 7 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness

The following link offers further reading on aventurine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aventurine