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Green quartz, also known as prasiolite, is a green variety of quartz and a rare gemstone in nature. Due to its rarity, prasiolite can sometimes substitute more rare and costly gemstones in the market. Check out this guide of everything you should know about green quartz.
History of Green Quartz
The origin of natural green quartz may have its roots in 1884 while making several appearances in different mines over the years. Since the mid-1900s, almost all natural green quartz (prasiolite) has originated from a small mine in Brazil. However, green quartz has been mined in other parts globally, such as Lower Silesia in Poland.
Other mines that produce naturally occurring green quartz include the Canadian Thunder bay area. The stone used to be found in different places globally, including Russia, India, Australia, and China. Generally, the stone is so rare that it is currently hard to come by in the only mine producing green quartz in the Brazilian Minas Gerais region. Historically, green quartz was used as an amulet against harmful spirits. Currently, its properties are also used for roughly the same purpose.
Meaning of Green Quartz
Green quartz is known by other aliases, including prasiolite, green amethyst (though contentious), lime citrine, Amegreen, Veregreen, and Vermareen.
Prasiolite is derived from two Greek words, prason meaning “leek” and lithos meaning “stone”. The derivation “leek” owes to the stone’s green-colored appearance. However, some prasiolites possess a varying yellow-green color.
Metaphysically, green quartz carries a more in-depth meaning. Its meaning is centered around the concept of attracting a more compassionate heart. Green quartz’s meaning is tied to the pursuit of creative inspiration, a higher spiritual connection level, and a greater intuition sense.
Green Quartz Geological Treatment
Prasiolite is a macrocrystalline quartz variety containing inclusions such as actinolite and chlorite. These inclusions are responsible for giving the stone its beautiful and unique signature color. Most artificial prasiolites are produced via heat treatment since naturally occurring green quartz is rare.
Experts heat natural amethyst to 500 °C in a lab until a purple to green/yellow-green color change is observed. When heated, most amethyst will turn orange or yellow, producing citrine. However, when heated, some amethyst will turn green. Generally, most prasiolites in the market result from a combination of ionizing radiation and heat treatment. Here is a summary of other vital geological properties of green quartz:
- Mineral info: Silicon dioxide
- Color: green shades
- Cause of color: Heat
- Refractive index: 1.544-1.553
- Specific Gravity: 2.65
- Hardness (Mohs): 7
What is Prasiolite?
As previously noted, prasiolite is a yellow-green quartz variety. Prasiolite is cut into beautiful stones used for jewelry or crystal collections. Green quartz is typically produced by the following processes, which give the stones their unique features:
Heat-Treated Amethyst
The majority of prasiolite is produced by heating natural amethyst in a lab. Amethyst is heated subject to a specified temperature until it changes color as intended.
Irradiated Amethyst
A tiny prasiolite amount is produced by irradiating natural amethyst. The result is a light green colored prasiolite. This green color is typically unstable and is subject to complete fading once you expose the stone to temperatures above 150 °C.
Naturally-Heated Amethyst
A smaller amount of amethyst is also heated via natural processes. Naturally-heated amethyst is located where an amethyst-bearing rock unit has undergone heating by nearby intrusions or younger lava flows.
Is Prasiolite the Same as Green Amethyst?
Most people prefer green amethyst as an alternative alias for prasiolite. By definition, amethyst is a purple quartz variety. This makes green amethyst a mildly confusing and sometimes incorrect alternative reference for prasiolites. According to the Federal Trade Commission, green amethyst comes off as misleading and deceptive. However, most people still prefer to use the name as an alternative to prasiolite, perhaps since prasiolite is technically a product of heating natural purple amethyst.
Color in Amethyst
The amethyst purple color results from trace iron amounts or iron inclusions within the quartz. The purple color is stable under several Earth surface conditions. However, upon heating, it changes color.
When heated, most amethyst changes color from either purple to reddish-brown or purple to yellow-green, depending on the varying degree of heating (470 °C – 550 °C). They are then marketed and sold as heat-treated citrine. However, a small amethyst amount heated to 500 ° C turns to green/ yellowish-green forming prasiolite that is liked and preferred to the purple amethyst. Additionally, some people generally believe that heating destroys the quality of amethyst and, as such, don’t care much for the green color.
How to Tell if a Green Quartz Is Real?
Most unaware buyers have fallen prey to fake minerals in the market, especially green quartz’s contentious nickname green amethyst. Artificial prasiolite is typically a low-quality amethyst heated in an oven to eliminate any impurities. The heating process changes the iron particles’ color within.
When purchasing prasiolite, due diligence is advised to avoid buying low-quality fake products. You can start by checking the vendor’s credibility and source for the specific stones you seek. The majority of prasiolites currently in the market happen to be fake, so you need to be extra cautious and inquisitive.
You ought to find out one of the facts is the stone’s origin. Due to its rarity, green quartz is majorly (almost solely) mined in Brazil. Therefore anything from any other place is most likely fake and a rip-off.
Green Quartz Healing Properties and Benefits
Like with any other gemstone, green quartz is believed to carry healing properties and benefits targeted to one’s physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Read further to discover the incredible healing potential and benefits of green quartz.
Physical Healing
Green quartz is an ideal healing stone since it helps rid the body of all toxins. Prasiolites help to treat tumors, growths, and ulcers. Prasiolites help to neutralize stomach acid and help your body absorb nutrients.
Green quartz is valuable to healers for its ability to heal various problems associated with the thyroid and thymus glands. The stone provides healing benefits if you suffer from chronic illnesses such as depression, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue.
Prasiolite detoxifies the body, boosts the body’s immune systems, deals with nausea, and cleanses organs. Green quartz promotes healing in the circulatory and digestive systems. Generally, the stone guides you on your path to wellness and all-around health. By keeping you healthy physically, green quartz indirectly, emotionally, and mentally.
Emotional and Mental Healing
Are you feeling drained emotionally? With the current fast-paced world, many people lack the chance to relax and process thought and emotions. It is easy to get stuck with negative emotions, especially since everyone is surrounded by emotional triggers.
If any of these descriptions fit your state, green quartz is an ideal prescription to help you tone things down a notch. Green quartz healing properties help to boost your moods. This helps you to see things from a happier perspective. The stone helps you avoid overthinking situations and gain clarity when looking at different situations.
Prasiolite is also helpful when it comes to heart matters. The stone ignites the love in you. You can use it as a love crystal to reignite any sparks you believe you have lost along the way. The more you use green quartz, the more at peace you become with others and yourself.
If you have been single for quite a long time, green quartz help to reignite the desire for love and return to the dating scene once again. Additionally, green quartz helps reignite your self-confidence while removing the fear and worry in your heart.
The stone fills your heart with a positive and joyful energy that allows you to attract the best type of reciprocated love energies. It eliminates the negative energies in your mind and heart which hinder you from having loving and strong relationships.
Prasiolite allows you to relax and let go of the negative thoughts and emotions that hinder self-growth. It grounds you in the moment and encourages you to be yourself in the best way possible. By being yourself, you can connect with others easily, allowing them to know you wholly.
Additionally, by being yourself with the aid of the prasiolite, you are essentially lifting a heavy burden from your shoulders. The stone calms your explosive emotions and helps you handle them better. It promotes self-love and self-acceptance. You cannot expect others to love with the same intensity that you deny yourself. Most importantly, it encourages you to do what is absolutely best for you without forgetting about your emotional well-being.
Spiritual Healing
Green quartz is also a spiritual stone. It is the perfect choice for individuals intending to work on negative energies holding them back. Meditating daily using prasiolites can help you get rid of self-destructive thoughts and negative energy.
Prasiolite’s meaning and healing properties open your mind and stimulate your intuition. With an alert intuition, you can make conscious decisions that help you avoid crisis and self-destruction. With green quartz, you can become more perceptive to bad energy before it affects you.
Are you a creative artist feeling stuck and overwhelmed? Green quartz is ideal for creative artists looking for a better path to success or simply a creative boost. With your creative juices stimulated, you will gain the joy and confidence it takes to gain success in any project you embark on.
Green Quartz and Chakra
Prasiolite is linked with the heart chakra. It is thought to stimulate love, compassion, and empathy and increase connection with other people. Prasiolite is also believed to affect the root chakra. The heart and root chakras become intertwined when channeling or holding prasiolite energies.
How to Use Green Quartz?
Contrary to popular opinion, there is no wrong or right way to use green quartz. Fortunately, there are multiple ways that you can use green quartz and derive its full benefits. Below are some of the ways you can use green quartz;
- Carry it in your purse or pocket. This way, you are carrying the healing and uplifting vibrations to ensure the healing properties are available to you at all times. This also provides a constant reminder of the stone’s meaning
- Wear it as jewelry. You can wear prasiolite as a necklace, earrings, or pendants. Wearing a pendant or necklace keeps the crystal and its healing benefits near your heart chakra. Wearing it as an earring keeps the stone and its healing benefits close to your crown or third-party chakra. Regardless of the way you wear the stone, you are guaranteed to derive its benefits
- Place it as interior décor in any part of your office, living room, or bedroom. You can place the stone in any area where you need extra productivity, creativity, and prosperity. On the bright side, you and your family or everyone around you will benefit from it.
- Meditation. Meditation allows you to calm your thoughts and emotions and be one with yourself. Luckily, prasiolite helps to calm your heart and mind. This way, you will streamline your meditation process to derive its full benefits.
Zodiac Connection
Green quartz’s energies mostly favor Aries, Libra, and Pisces individuals. While anyone can use the stone, individuals sharing these zodiac signs resonate more with its healing properties and benefits. If you are a member of these signs, the stone works seamlessly to eliminate the toxic traits hindering your progress.
Green Quartz Value
Green quartz is a rare stone in its natural form and mostly originates from Brazilian mines. Due to its rarity, you can expect its price to be a little costlier than you expect. Typically, green amethyst prices may range between $5-$50 per carat. The exact prices will also depend on where you purchase the stone from.
Bottom Line
Green quartz, also known as prasiolite, is a variety of quartz believed to have been discovered in 1884. There is naturally occurring green quartz, which is highly rare. Amethysts can also be heated in a lab to produce green quartz. It is a healing stone for the body, mind, heart, and spirit. Proper care is necessary to ensure its longevity. Proper care may include not exposing it to very high temperatures. Most importantly, ensure proper cleaning and storage at all times.
