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Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Green Quartz

Some amethysts from certain localities change the color to green when heat-treated under the right conditions. They are known as Prasiolite or Greened-Amethyst. They are inexpensive + frequently encountered in the gem market in all shapes and sizes. There are irradiation+ heat treated green amethysts in the market.

Synthetic green quartz are also available. Synthetic green quartz was reported in the United States in 1954. Its commercial production started in 1960, mostly in Russia. Bi-colored stones in yellow + green, and multi-color in purple + yellow + green were synthesized in 1955 + 1997 respectively. Today visual identification of green quartz is difficult. If in doubt always consult a reputed gem testing laboratory.

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