Fuchsite Properties, Facts and Photos

What is Fuchsite?

Fuchsite is a variety of chromium-rich muscovite.  The more chromium present, the richer the colour.  In some cases the colour of fuchsite can even be similar to emerald.

When chromium is replaced by aluminium, the shade of green becomes distinctively lighter.

Fuchsite is a radioactive mineral that fluoresces lime-green under ultraviolet light. This is because of the presence of potassium.

Fuchsite is often found as tiny mineral inclusions in certain rocks.  When present in larger quantities it becomes known as verdite.   

A relatively soft mineral, fuchsite is rarely found with good purity.  It grades 2 to 3 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness and often features inclusions of red corundum.

This stone is known as ruby in fuchsite.  It's often mistaken for ruby zoisite which can at a glance, look very similar.

Ruby zoisite is much rarer and hence more expensive. It's also harder than ruby in fuchsite and often exhibits visible crystals of black hornblende.
The name 'fuchsite' is often misspelt and mispronounced.  The mineral was named after German chemist and mineralogist Johann Nepomuk von Fuchs hence is pronounced 'fook-site'.

Article Photos

The fuchsite at the top of our article is displayed in the Natural History Museum London.  Photo by Stone Mania.

The second photo is of ruby in fuchsite polished stones. 

The first photo is clickable and redirects to the original image.