Amazonite Necklace

Unique pieces of amazonite take center stage on this simple, serene handmade necklace.

Price: $38.00

Every piece of amazonite is like a small picture or a tiny work of natural art. The opalescent hue is subtle, yet absorbing when contrasted with the stark black of the oxidized sterling silver chain. This handcrafted gem stone necklace will stand out as a favorite in your jewelry collection for years to come.

What is Amazonite?
Amazonite, also referred to by geologists as Amazonstone, is an alkali feldspar called microcline. Microcline occurs in a variety of colors including yellow, pink, red and grey, but the gorgeous jade green variety is the Amazonite featured in this handcrafted necklace. Amazonite has a natural luster, and when polished, becomes wonderfully iridescent. It has a hardness of 5-6 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it a pliable substance for bead making and other forms of gem stone carving. Typically, Amazonite is made into cabochons, and this is why Two Cat Studio's jewelers jumped at the chance to work with these unusually-shaped beads. The necklace might be likened to a chain of Chinese lanterns, glowing with a pearly and mysterious green light!

The Mystery of Amazonite Deepens - Interesting Facts
Amazonite is mined in Australia, Brazil, Zimbabwe and Russia. Beautiful specimens of it come from Pike's Peak in Colorado, too. What's missing from this list of gem sources is the Amazon River. No known sources of Amazonite exist in the Amazon, and it remains a mystery how this green gem got its name. Perhaps the name is a tribute to the deep, moist greens of the Amazon Rainforest - that place of eternal wonder!

Amazonite and the Egyptian Connection
The wealth of Amazonite used in ancient Egyptian jewelry and ceremonial objects is proof that man's admiration of this cool green gemstone spans the centuries. Archaeology has led to the discovery of fabulous artifacts of gold and silver, inlaid with pieces of Amazonite, Lapis Lazuli, Carnelian and colored glass. The modern world held its breath in a kind of awe when archaeologist Howard Carter located King Tut's tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 and our Western appreciation of the skill of the jewelers and craftsmen of antiquity grew by leaps and bounds when the treasures of this excavation were brought to light. Archaeologists continue to discover caches of ancient Amazonite beads in Africa and they sometimes come up at auction.

The Mohs Hardness Scale and Care of your Handcrafted Amazonite Necklace
Jewelry collectors quickly learn that gemologists frequently reference the Mohs Hardness Scale when discussing gemstones. Developed in 1812 by the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs, it revolves around the basic concept that the hardness of a mineral can be determined by which minerals will leave a scratch on it, or which minerals it can leave a scratch on. The scale goes from 1-10, with a very soft substance like Talc receiving a 1 and diamonds receiving a 10. Feldspars like Amazonite get about a 6 and Topaz is a bit harder, rating a 7. This is important information for jewelers who need to know how easy or difficult it will be to carve a bead or facet a gem. And, it's important information for jewelry collectors when determining how to care for and store different gem stone jewelry pieces.

How this works is that if you have a piece of jewelry like this Amazonite necklace, you wouldn't want to store it in the same jewelry pouch with a diamond ring. The diamond could seriously scratch the Amazonite! Because of this, we advocate separate pouches or separate padded jewelry box drawers for gems with different hardnesses. Proper attention to the Mohs hardness scale will keep your handcrafted gem stone jewelry looking as lovely as the day you purchased it.

You might also enjoy our in-depth article on the historical and cultural significance of green gem stones.