Characteristics and magical properties of olivine. Olivine - the magical properties of the stone

A special place in jewelry has long been occupied by chrysolite stone. With his beauty, he deserved fame and chanting of him among poets. Often there is such a name as "evening emerald" or "golden stone". It received this name due to its unusual color. It will be impossible to immediately determine the shade of the mineral, since in natural sunlight it shimmers and combines a light golden tone and the color of young grass. AT Ancient Greece it was very popular: the ornamental stone chrysolite was used to make expensive jewelry.

Chrysolite is formed in the process of deep crystallization of mineral rocks in liquid magma.

It is noteworthy that under artificial lighting, the golden hue disappears, becomes invisible, and the stone seems to be a rich emerald color. In nature, there are several shades of natural color this mineral, it can be yellow, golden, lime, emerald, pistachio, olive and dark green. It is worth noting that all the colors of this stone are always pale, they do not have bright juiciness and saturation, but nevertheless they are very dense and pleasant.

Chrysolite is formed in the process of deep crystallization of mineral rocks in liquid magma. It is extremely complex and long process obtaining such stones. It belongs to the orthosilicate class of fossils. If we consider it chemical basis, then it is a complex compound of iron and magnesium. It can be heterogeneous in its structure, which greatly complicates processing, also affects transparency and gloss.

Chrysolite is a fragile and sensitive stone.

The characteristics of this mineral show that it is durable. The density is 3g/cm3, its hardness on the Mohs scale varies within 6-7 units. Depending on chemical impurities, inclusions in its composition of other rocks, the main characteristics may vary slightly. Accordingly, the shade of chrysolite, brilliance and transparency vary. Based on these data, it is determined whether it is precious or semi-precious stone. Its appraised value is determined by certain composition giving the stone unique properties, which are so appreciated by the master of jewelry.

Chrysolite as a mineral among scientists is most often called olivine, but jewelers prefer a different name - peridot. Therefore, you can find several names of this gem and each of them will be true.

The largest deposits of chrysolite are considered to be such countries as Mongolia, Russia, USA, Brazil, Australia, Myanmar and Zaire. Often, under the name chrysolite, other stones also fall, which have a very strong similarity with it and also belong to the class of orthosilicates. Most often, this gemstone is combined in the name with the following minerals: tourmaline, topaz, beryl and chrysoberyl.

The largest specimen of olivine is located in the USA, its mass is 310 carats, but the second largest stone weighs 192.6 carats and is stored in Russia.

Features of chrysolite stone (video)

The use of chrysolite

Its main purpose is to decorate jewelry. Appreciated its beauty in ancient times, it was most often used in the form of talismans and amulets. It is believed that green chrysolite can protect from trouble. Over time, ancient jewelers were able to create items of extraordinary beauty that were inlaid with this mineral. Imperial tiaras, diadems and royal crowns were decorated with chrysolite, today these are pendants, earrings, bracelets, rings and tiaras that anyone can purchase. The cost of these products is rather big, but the value of the stone is quite consistent with this.

When purchasing chrysolite peridot, you should immediately ask how to properly care for it, because some properties of the mineral may be lost, for example, its brilliance and transparency.

In order to clean the product, it is enough to rinse it under running water and let it dry in the sun, then wipe soft cloth. Chrysolite is a fragile and sensitive stone.: should be avoided mechanical damage, sudden changes temperature. It reacts negatively to chemical acids.

Gallery: chrysolite stone (50 photos)

Mysterious properties of chrysolite

Olivine is credited with some extraordinary properties. Since ancient times, it has been believed that magical properties chrysolite stones can bring good luck and success to its owner. Amulets and amulets were made from it, its effect, according to the ancient magicians, was very great. Men were supposed to give their lady a gift jewelry with this mineral, then their feelings grew stronger and they were inseparable. In other words, the property was attributed to the stone to strengthen mutual feelings, with the help of the magic of this “golden stone”.

Merchants wore amulets that protected them from attacks by robbers and helped to increase wealth. Small amulets were specially made for warriors, they were supposed to protect them from death and give them strength and courage. The greater significance of the chrysolite stone was attributed specifically to luck, because even today, when it is most often called peridot, which means “giving abundance” in Greek, it serves as a symbol of wealth.

The magical properties of chrysolite were sung by poets, and many institutions of the world have preserved archaeological finds in the form of these amulets and bracelets, which confirm their mysterious significance in ancient times.

Therapeutic effect of peridot

Based on the recommendations of lithotherapy, it is worth using, namely wearing products with this stone on your body, if you have problems with circulatory system as well as with reduced immunity. It is believed that it is suitable for those who have suffered severe illness and needs to be restored. One of its main features is the ability to help eliminate toxins from the body and speed up the absorption process. useful substances from food. Therefore, in ancient times they were decorated with bowls and goblets for noble people. It is believed that peridots generally have a beneficial effect on work. gastrointestinal tract and on the function of the gallbladder.

Interaction with zodiac signs

Some astrologers believe that it is worth being careful with this mineral, since it does not suit every person according to the horoscope. Brilliant olivine will bring good luck and success to those whose zodiac sign is in the constellation of Aquarius, Libra and Pisces. But for everyone it has its own meaning. For those who are suitable for olivine, it will bring not only wealth, but also strong relationships in family.

These green minerals will bring Lions not only good luck, but also the ability to achieve their goals, be strong in spirit, easily and successfully establish contacts and conclude agreements. Talismans with this stone will bring great victories in business and other financial matters.

Libra with the help of peridot will be able to improve their communication with the opposite sex, relationships in the family, have good health and peace of mind. Olivine products will help such vulnerable Libra find harmony in their inner world get rid of fears and apathy. It is believed that such amulets give vitality and necessary energy for a person.

Olivine will bring the greatest luck and success to those whose star is in the constellation Pisces. Jewelry with peridot will attract not only success in business, but also reveal unusual abilities in the person himself. It has often been said that the wearers of these items can develop a strong intuition and sense of foresight. In all spheres of Pisces, luck and prosperity await.

As a gift, unusual products in the form of miniature figurines or figurines with this mineral are given to people doing business as a symbol of wealth, prosperity and prosperity.

One important note is the following:

1. Wearing on the body is only new jewelry that will contain only your energy.
2. Periodically, the stones need to be properly cleaned, allowing them to remove the accumulated negative from themselves. Cleaning should be done correctly so as not to damage the olivine.
3. You can not give your personal products from chrysolite to wear to other people, even close relatives.

Subject to these rules, the stone will be able to truly show its properties and provide the necessary protection for the owner. Any mineral carries the most powerful energy of the earth and can bestow it on those who come into contact with it.

Money stones (video)

Lot interesting facts exists about chrysolite. For example, he was decorated with the Russian crown, not only because of the beauty and brilliance that he possessed, but also for the purpose of protection and patronage of the royal person.

This unusual stone is shrouded in mystery and aristocracy. Its exquisite beauty deserves special attention. Products from peridot today are presented in the widest possible range: from miniature brooches, earrings, bracelets to massive necklaces and necklaces. Fashion for this mineral will always be. Chrysolite is the embodiment of something noble and sophisticated.

Attention, only TODAY!

Olivine, which has a natural green color, looks like an emerald. But unlike him, the stone is much cheaper. At the same time, it has a bright luster and high refractive indices. For this reason, the mineral is very popular among jewelry lovers around the world. In addition to the green tint, olivine has lemon and honey tones. You will learn more about the precious gem, its less expensive varieties and their features by reading this article.

History of the stone

The first mention of the mineral was found in the treatises of Pliny, dated 77 BC. He wrote that he watched green boulders fall to the ground directly from the sky.

For a long time, until the 18th century, scientists debated whether this was possible. The unique phenomenon was confirmed by the scientist F. Khandi. He proved that the falling boulders are of unearthly origin, are meteorites and consist of olivine.

Olivine is a word with ancient Greek origin, translates as "glass". The second name of the stone is peridot. But it is relevant when it comes to a gem-quality mineral.

Olivine belongs to silicates and rock-forming minerals. Its features were studied and in 1747 described in detail by the Swedish researcher J. Vallerius.

Olivine Belt and beaches

At the beginning of the 20th century, scientists unveiled a phenomenon that was given the name "olivine belt". After research using sensitive sensors, geologists came to the conclusion that in the depths of the earth's crust, a whole ocean is seething, consisting of heavy metals (in particular, gold) and minerals.

The composition of the latter is dominated by olivine. A hundred years later, the theory of the "olivine belt" was partially refuted. Modern scientists have found that there is no gold in this mix. Otherwise, the discoverers were right.

Another phenomenon of our planet is the famous olivine beaches. Most of them are in Hawaii. Green olivine pebbles and sands appeared in these places after a collapse in the sea of ​​secretions from the Puu Mahana volcano. Other olivine beaches are located on the islands of the western part of the Pacific Ocean and in Molliesia.

Peridot deposits are found everywhere on our planet. It is the basis of the Earth's mantle. For this, geologists gave it the name "rock-forming".

Appearance and characteristics

The formula of the mineral is (Mg,Fe)2(SiO4). The composition of olivine includes impurities of nickel, manganese, calcium, iron and magnesium. Cleavage is absent. Density 6.5-7 units. Does not form a line and does not change color at a break.

Olivine has a glossy glassy luster. The crystals are small, sometimes granular. The grains form an irregular geometric shape. The brilliance is strong, well expressed when illuminated by a lamp.

The color of olivine varies. There are olive-yellow, emerald green, black, as well as transparent specimens.

Artificial and natural hydrothermal processes occurring with the stone lead to partial weathering of its constituents. As a result, talc formations stand out. In addition to talc, chlorite and serpentine appear.

Olivine varieties

Chrysolite

Gemstone of olive-green color with golden tints, transparent. Chrysolites are widely used by jewelers for the production of jewelry. In ancient times, the stone was used exclusively as an amulet.

Peridot

This mineral is called kamshmir, virgo-peridot or forsterite. It has a rich green color with a yellow tint. Green specimens outwardly resemble an emerald gem. For the fiery brilliance and similarity with it, the ancient Egyptians called the stone "evening emerald".

The mineral is used to make jewelry. In the process of refining, craftsmen use wax as an auxiliary material.

forsterite

Formed in the form of granular crystals irregular shape. The density is 7 units. Minerals without impurities are colorless. Gray-yellow specimens are more common.

Serpentine

Layered silicate that does not form crystals. This variety of olivine is used to make jewelry and decorative items.

The second name - serpentine - the stone received for the similarity of colors with the skin of the reptile of the same name.

Ornamental stone has a uniform translucent structure. The color palette varies from yellow-green to dark green.

Mining sites and scope

Old olivine deposits have been discovered in the Red Sea at St. John's. The deposits on this island are practically exhausted, since the mineral has been mined for many centuries.

New large-scale deposits have been discovered in the United States, in the states of New Mexico and Arizona. A record-breaking crystal was discovered in Myanmar. Its weight was 200 carats.

In addition, olivine is mined in Brazil, Egypt, Australia, and Hawaii. In our country, rock deposits are located in Yakutia.

Due to its properties, the stone has wide application in various industries: agriculture, construction and jewelry.

Such noble species as peridot, chrysolite and serpentine are used for the production of jewelry.

Refractory bricks are made from forsterite, after which they are used in the construction of structures. And its crushed fragments become the basis of magnesian soil fertilizers.

Olivine, along with the magmatic glass obsidian, is used for the production of technical silicates and glasses. You will find more about this breed in the article.

Medicinal properties

Lithotherapists and their patients note that after undergoing treatment with olivine, numerous health problems disappear. In particular:

• causeless anxiety and depression;
• insomnia;
• vision problems even in older people;
• low and high blood pressure;
• diseases of the digestive system;
• low immunity;
• kidney disease, including stones.

Olivine is suitable for women preparing for childbirth. mineral reduces pain during contractions and facilitates the birth of a child. And the stone left at the head of the crib contributes to it. healthy sleep and tranquility.

magical properties

Bioenergetics celebrate the powerful magical properties of olivine. With its help, it is easier to achieve your goals of any complexity.

A gem amulet will protect against rash acts, spontaneous decisions and their negative consequences.

The mineral amulet acts as a shield against the evil eye, damage and other external influences.

For businessmen building a career, the talisman will help to avoid rash decisions, contacts with unscrupulous partners and unreliable financial investments. Olivine contributes to the establishment of promising business relationships.

Astrologers believe that those who are suitable for olivine immediately intuitively feel a surge of strength, the ability to improve themselves and success in the financial sector.

The zodiac sign Virgo is friends with olivine more than the rest. The talisman will help the pedantic and demanding Virgos to smooth out the sharp corners of their character and improve relations with others.

Other signs whose horoscopes correspond to the energy radiations of the mineral are Leo, Cancer, Taurus, Libra and Gemini.

As for the rest of the representatives of the star circle, the amulet with precious olivine will not have a strong effect on them.

And for Capricorns, an amulet from the mineral olivine is contraindicated.

Jewelry with olivine: cost

Olivine is an aesthetically pleasing stone of rich hues with an iridescent sheen and bright highlights. Jewelry with this stone looks spectacular and beautiful.

Apart from appearance, the advantage of olivine is that products made from it are available to wealthy people and budget buyers. A number of factors affect the cost:

• the size;
• color;
• cut;
• decoration design.

Round green chrysolites are the most expensive. Their cost starts from 13,000 rubles per carat. The pear cut is ten times cheaper. A stone in gold with one pebble is valued from 2.5 thousand rubles. The price of the mineral in silver starts from 700 rubles.

Olivine is a stone of the silicate family. In my own way chemical composition is quartz combined with magnesium and iron. Such an unusual name is due to the fact that the mineral resembles the fruits of an olive tree. Although its colors can be quite diverse: there are stones of light yellow, emerald and deep black. It depends on what substance it contains more - nickel or chromium.

Characteristics and application of stone

This stone has been known since ancient times. He is known all over the world, but they call him differently everywhere. For example, in our country it is also called chrysolite, and in Europe - peridot. It is characterized by non-metallic luster, great hardness and olive green color.

Deposits of stone are found throughout the world, most often among volcanic formations, destroyed rocks and in kimberlite pipes. In various countries, olivine has different colors. It happens most often in Hawaii. Brown with green dots, and in Sri Lanka it has a very soft color which is only visible in certain lighting conditions. In nature, blue olivines are very rare.

Olivine and its uses

This mineral is mined in countries such as:

• India;
• Kenya;
• Mexico;

This is far from complete list places where it can be found. In our country, the stone can be found in Buryatia, Sakha-Yakutia, in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Amur Region and on the Kola Peninsula.

Olivine with a golden hue often used by jewelers for insertion into expensive frames. In addition, it is used for jewelry such as earrings and rings, amulets, talismans, and amulets are made from it. A variety of souvenirs are made from the mineral, they also decorate the interior.

The healing properties of the mineral

This stone, like almost any other, has a healing effect on the body. It is very popular in Armenia. There it is used for the treatment of vision. At the same time, you need to look only at the mineral for quite a long time, thanks to which the eyesight of many improves. And with such a disease as scabies of the eyes, olivine crushed into small pieces is applied to the eyes. In Vietnam, it is used for various diseases liver.

Olivine is also used in the following cases:

Folk medicine for healing effect recommends placing the mineral next to the diseased organ. Olivine should be cleaned periodically from the accumulated unfavorable energy. To do this, it is placed in a vessel with water for a short time.

The magical properties of the stone

Olivine patronizes the strong and weak people. For those who are constantly eluded by luck, stone helps to succeed and protect you from trouble. He shows a person the right path in life.

It is believed that the stone is able to reveal secret knowledge to a person that was previously unknown to him. The owner of this mineral successfully implements all his undertakings, which previously failed miserably.

If people seek to become famous or get rich, a stone can help them in this. In addition to fame and money, olivine rewards its owner with morality and wisdom. Thanks to these qualities, a person achieves everything in an honest way.

The mineral also helps in solving family problems. He is able to strengthen family ties, extinguish conflicts, scandals, protect the hearth from evil envious people. Magicians are sure that the probability of a fire is sharply reduced in the house if there is an olivine stone.

The stone saves people who often do risky things, and then regret it. The mineral makes a person avoid rash actions and gives him worldly wisdom.

Olivine can be worn as a piece of jewelry, you can buy figurines and figurines from this stone and decorate your home with them. Also apply it in medicinal purposes due to its properties to have a beneficial effect on the human body. In any case, the acquisition of this stone will only benefit its owner.

At the beginning of the last century, geophysics armed itself with sensitive instruments that capture the movements of the earth's crust deep in the bowels of the planet. After studying these fluctuations, scientists came to the conclusion that a huge ocean of viscous and liquid matter boils under the hard stone surface of the Earth.

Not a single drilling machine can get so deep yet. But it is still possible to study the contents of the underground "cauldron". This substance - magma - is helpfully brought to the surface by volcanoes.

According to the ideas of geologists of the 20s of the last century, the Olivine Belt, consisting of a molten mix of minerals and metals, boils several tens of kilometers under our feet. This infernal mixture is dominated by olivine and gold.

The writer Alexei Tolstoy used the theory of the Olivine Belt in the famous adventure novel The Hyperboloid of Engineer Garin (1927), where the inventor-adventurer Pyotr Petrovich Garin pierces the earth's crust with a beam of a fantastic hyperboloid and becomes the richest man in the world.

A hundred years have passed, and geophysicists have a much clearer understanding of the structure internal structure Earth. Now Tolstoy would hardly have enriched literature with his remarkable novel. Modern geophysicists have proven that there is no molten gold in the Olivine Belt. This heavy metal should fall much below the light olivine melt.

What does the earth depend on

But in the rest, Alexei Tolstoy was not mistaken. Olivine is indeed a common mineral. It composes the igneous rocks of the planet's mantle, on which the earth's firmament rests. Moreover, olivine is the basis or integral part many other minerals and even precious stones(more about this in the chapter "Gemstone appearances of olivine"). Therefore, geologists call olivine rock-forming .

« Godfather The mineral was the Swedish naturalist, professor at Uppsala University Johann Valerius. In his fundamental work "Mineralogy or a description of all kinds of ores and minerals from the earth of things" (1747), the scientist proposed to name olivine a yellow-green mineral resembling olives in color.

Olivine-rich rocks are a sure sign of deposits of diamonds, platinum, chromium, titanium, and nickel.

But on our planet there is olivine and unearthly origin.

Pallas iron

In 1749, blacksmith-ore explorer Yakov Medvedev became interested in an unusual iron nugget interspersed with green stone. He found this block of more than 40 pounds not far from the mining village, on the slopes of the Lesser Altai (now the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Novoselovsky District, the territory of the Komsky Village Council).

Medvedev dragged the nugget to the yard of the forge, and little by little he beat off the pieces for handicrafts, marveling at the fact that the iron did not rust at all in the rain.

After 23 years, the German naturalist and traveler Peter Pallas, an academician of the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Sciences, visited these lands with a scientific expedition. Having examined the unique boulder, the scientist identified it as an alloy of olivine stone and native iron, and ordered it to be sent to the capital.

By the way, the Khakasses, the indigenous inhabitants of these places, told Pallas that this boulder is a sacred stone, a gift from the gods, sent from heaven. But the German scientist considered such stories fiction.

About this block, called Pallas iron , Peter Pallas reported in publications of the European scientific communities. In the centers of science - Paris, Berlin, Vienna, London - were sent samples, chipped from this strange olivine-iron formation.

No man is an island

And at the end of the 18th century, the German naturalist Ernst Florence Chladni, who studied one of these samples, published a book in which he first scientifically substantiated the assumption that Pallas iron is a meteorite that formed in the depths of space and once fell to Earth.

With this bold statement, he almost ruined his scientific career. Serious pundits refused to believe that rocks could fall from the sky.

“What nonsense! Where would huge boulders come from in the sky?”, the skeptics asked with a grin.

Interestingly, along with outstanding discoveries, the most dense ignorance reigned in the Paris Academy of Sciences. At the famously curious meeting (1772), French academicians issued a thoughtful verdict: “There can be no flying stones in the sky without a doubt. Therefore, any message that a stone has fallen from the sky is a deliberate lie.

Meanwhile, even the Greek philosopher Diogenes (4th century BC) believed that meteorites were somehow connected with the stars, which means they were formed outside the Earth.

Pliny in Natural History (77 AD) wrote: “That stones often fall to the Earth, no one will doubt this.”

Time has put everything in its place, and now the physicist Ernst Chladni is considered the founder meteoritics - a science that has thrown a bridge between geology and astronomy.

As for Pallas iron, the discussions about its origin were brought to an end only in 1902, when a meteorite of a similar composition fell on the territory of Finland in the Maryalahti region. Such meteorites in modern mineralogy are called pallasites , and their contents pallasite . Probably, olivine is one of the "building blocks" that form rocks on other planets.

Olivine from Space

Pallas iron has been identified all over the world. Only in three rare cases was the fall of such an iron-stone meteorite observed. This happened on the island of Sicily (1826) and in Japan (1898). The third fall of pallasite was seen by the Finns in the mentioned region of Maryalahti.

The bulk of the found fragments of pallasites belonged to meteorites that crashed onto the surface of our planet in the distant past.

In 1890, fragments of a meteorite interspersed with olivine were discovered near the town of Branham (Kansas, USA). In total, more than 20 large fragments with a total weight of about five tons were collected. One of them weighing 1074 pounds (487 kg) is in the Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

In 2005, meteorite hunters Steve Arnold and Phil Money surveyed the same area. With the help of metal detectors, they discovered and extracted several more large meteorite fragments from underground.

Almost one and a half ton meteorite-pallasite was found right on the pasture of a cattle farm near the city of Alice Springs, in northern Australia (1937).

Fragments of a meteorite weighing about a ton were discovered in the Chilean Atacama Desert (1822).

In 2000, a farmer from the Chinese province of Xinjiang pulled a huge boulder out of his rice field, which turned out to be pallasite.

When digging a pit in the Gomel region (Belarus) in 2002, they found a fragment of a space guest (227 kg), buried three meters into the ground.

AT different time"Pallas iron" was found in the vast icy expanses of Antarctica.

Incredible coincidence

AT Volgograd region The Russian Federation has a city named after Academician Pallas - the regional center of Pallasovka.

Just imagine the improbability of the fact that it was here in 1990 that an almost 200-kilogram meteorite consisting of pallasite was found!

How much does space pallasite cost?

The question is not at all idle. A pebble lying on the ground in anticipation of an attentive passerby can be more expensive than a gold bar.

Meteorites are coveted exhibits in collectors' collections. The demand for rare pallasites is especially hype, although their cost is truly astronomical and is available to very few collectors - up to $ 40,000 per kilogram.

Thin polished sections of pallasite are especially beautiful. The bluish metal tightly frames the yellow-green crystalline formations of olivine. Such sections are reminiscent of artistic stained glass windows of avant-garde design.

However, there are meteorites and more expensive. Fragments of completely plain-looking rocks that arrived on Earth from Mars or the Moon can cost up to $ 10,000. Only not per kilogram, but per gram (5 carats). This cost is comparable to a good five-carat gem.

"Hawaiian Emeralds"

On the Hawaiian Islands (USA) there are colorful beaches made up of various volcanic rocks, crushed by the ocean surf.

Among them there is also a grassy green. In Hawaiian, it is called Papakolea. This part of the coast is strewn with green pebbles and sand rolled by the waves. The layers of olivine contained the slope of the Puu Mahan volcano that collapsed into the sea.

The water near the shore is also emerald green - the waves are saturated small particles the mineral olivine.

Depending on the lighting, the beach may change color several times during the day. In clear weather, it is light olive, at dawn the shade of sand is grassy or yellow-green, as if covered with shoots of Irish heather. At sunset, the olivine grains in your palm will resemble tiny emeralds and diamonds. Tourists call them so - Hawaiian emeralds.

How nice it is to swim in the emerald (in the literal sense!) Sea, and then sunbathe on the mountains of treasures.

In fact, admiring travelers are not far from the truth - the beaches are littered with billions of crystals, a gemstone that is part of an extensive family of minerals, the structure of which includes olivine.

But as soon as the sky is covered with clouds, the sand loses its magical green hue and turns into a dull dark gray strip between the surf and the steep slope of the volcano.

This is how olivine crystals in grains of sand refract sunlight.

The authorities of the state of Hawaii have imposed a ban on the export of olivine sand from a unique beach. There are hefty fines for breaking the law. But tourists strive to take a handful as a keepsake.

To the ban deaf and wayward surf. Sometimes storms wash thousands of tons of sandy treasures into the ocean. Hawaiians fear that over time, the precious olivine surface of the beach will completely disappear.

Other olivine beaches

There are several more green olivine beaches on the planet. One is located on the island of Guam in the Western Pacific, in Micronesia. The island is part of the Mariana Archipelago, known for the fact that in the ocean near it there is the deepest sinkhole in earth's crust – Mariana Trench(11 km).

Here, green olivine, born in a volcano, is adjacent to dazzling white and orange sand from coral chips.

The Galapagos Islands belonging to Ecuador can boast of green beaches. The archipelago is located in the Pacific Ocean, a thousand kilometers from the coast South America. The islands have active volcanoes regularly supplying olivine.

There is such an exotic beach in Europe, but there are few bathers there. After all, the olivine beach is located in Norway, and is washed by the waves of the cold North Sea.

Gem Skins of Olivine

Serpentine

Olivine that has landed in the zone of hydrothermal vents is exposed to the action of minerals dissolved in hot water, and also to weathering. So this stone is transformed into a mineral serpentine resembling snake skin. This similarity gave serpentine another name -.

The patterns on the serpentine are very diverse. Surprisingly, they are often similar to the shade and pattern of the skin of those snakes that are found in the region of the mineral deposit. Scientists cannot explain such a mystical connection between animate and inanimate nature.

Serpentine serpentine is mainly used as an ornamental stone.

We have already mentioned chrysolite. We add that this silicate changes color depending on the proportions of magnesium and iron contained in it. It demonstrates all shades of green - pistachio, yellowish, grassy, ​​brown, golden.

In Russia these semiprecious stones mined in Yakutia.

forsterite

Another variety of olivine is forsterite. The composition of this silicate includes magnesium, so forsterite is also called magnesium olivine.

AT scientific literature it was first described by the geologist Armand Levy (1824). The mineral is named after Jacob Forster, an English gemologist and mineral collector. Forsterite is found in volcanic deposits, for example, in the area of ​​Mount Vesuvius (Italy).

The color of the mineral is traditionally green for olivines, but it can also be white and lemon yellow. Gemologists classify transparent forsterite as a semi-precious chrysolite.

Forsterite often accompanies deposits of both serpentine, plagioclase and.

Forsterite is a common mineral on Earth. Around the world there are about 800 of its deposits. Forsterite samples were raised from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

In Russia, there are forsterite deposits in the Urals.

In the electronics industry, forsterite ceramics are reliably soldered to metals in electrovacuum devices. The mineral, which does not represent jewelry value, is used for the production of high-quality ceramic refractory materials.

Forsterite is found even in space. This ubiquitous mineral has been found on the Moon, in asteroids and comets, and in stone meteorites that have fallen to Earth.

Peridot

Transparent green crystals of gem olivine in western mineralogy are called peridot. Peridot crystals are also dark yellow, golden green,

The name probably goes back to a consonant ancient Greek word meaning "Giving abundance." These gems have been known to jewelers since time immemorial. Three thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptians mined peridot on the island of Zeberget in the Red Sea. This deposit has not been exhausted to this day.

Green olivine peridot is often very similar to or chrysoberyl. The mineral often accompanies deposits.

Some varieties of peridot have a "cat's eye" effect. Such stones from ancient times are considered good amulet from the evil eye and magic spells.

Olivine magic

Oriental magicians have been using olivine for their rituals for thousands of years. The binary magical properties inherent in pallasites (metal-stone) that fell from space are especially valued.

And the terrestrial olivine is filled with energy not only of the underground bowels, but of the entire Universe. The magical properties of amulets made of cheerful green chrysolite are directed to good luck in all endeavors of the owner. It is recommended to those who have fallen into a period of chronic business failures.

Olivine and Zodiac

Olivine is the stone of the zodiac Leo. So they say astrological horoscopes. But any sign of the Zodiac can claim its location, if the owner of the amulet is determined to achieve his goals in life. Wear it in a ring.

This is a stone of athletes, leaders, purposeful entrepreneurs.

The olivine amulet will assist the leaders. But olivine does not like whiners.

Olivine is a gemstone that has been used in jewelry for many years and is highly prized by stone connoisseurs. The precious olivine has a beautiful bottle-green color, which is why it was given another name, evening emerald. Olivine was previously known as peridot. Olivine is valued for its color, which is bottle green in varying degrees of density. Also, olivine is found in a different color - yellow, black, brown, but such olivines are not very valued in jewelry because they are almost never transparent.

Olivine stone photo

The color of olivine directly depends on the amount of ferrous iron in its composition. Some slightly yellowish and dark brown stones, which are also enriched in iron, were also previously considered olivines, but in our time it turned out that this is sinhalite (aluminoborate). The term olivine itself was first proposed by Werner to refer to the green variety of stones found in basalts. The name olivine comes from two Greek words which in translation meant (gold and stone) so Pliny used the term olivine to refer to all golden yellow stones. It is possible that at that time some topaz or citrine received the name golden olivine by mistake. The term peridot, olivine, is derived from the French word peridot.
According to the chemical composition, olivine is a magnesium-iron silicate. Chemical formula olivine (Mg, Fe)2SiO4 in which Mg2SiO4 (forsterite) and Fe2SiO4 (fayalite) can be mixed in any proportions. The most beautiful are olivines in which the composition is close to forsterite. Olivine acquires a greenish color due to iron, the amount of which is very small and is about 1/5 of the amount of magnesium. With an increase in the amount of iron, the stones become pale yellowish or brownish in color, but their physical constants become higher.
Olivine crystallizes in a rhombic crystal system, while its prismatic crystals are somewhat flattened and have big number faces. It is characterized by two mutually perpendicular directions of cleavage along pinacoids, and cleavage in one direction is more pronounced than cleavage in the other direction. Since olivine has a rhombic syngony, it has three principal refractive indices and is optically biaxial.

• The refractive index for pure forsterite olivine ranges from 1.635 to 1.670, and for fayalite olivine from 1.827 to 1.879. The refractive index of forsterite is very close to the lowest and therefore it is positive, but with an increase in the amount of iron in the composition of olivine, the refractive index approaches highest value and so many olivines are optically negative.
• In terms of birefringence, olivine surpasses all gemstones except zircon and sphene. In faceted olivines, birefringence is very pronounced in the apparent doubling of opposite edges when viewed through a platform.
• Dichroism is weakly expressed and one color is slightly yellower than another color and this can be clearly observed in olive green stones.
• Dispersion for interval B-G is 0.020.
• Olivine does not fluoresce and has a vitreous luster.
• The density of olivine ranges from 3.2 for forsterite to 4.4 for fayalite. It is also known that in pure green stones the density ranges from 3.32 to 3.37, and in some brown olivines it reaches 3.50.
• Mohs hardness of olivines can range from 6 to 7, but the most valuable are the softest olivines.

Olivine is treated with a step cut, but sometimes a brilliant cut is made on top and at the same time the stone is given an oval or rounded shape. One of these stones is among the regalia of the Russian crown. This olivine is considered clean, although it has several almost imperceptible internal cracks that have not reached the surface of the stone. This olive Green colour the stone has a large, slightly convex area surrounded by stepped facets, and the cut below consists of many irregular quadrangular facets. This elongated stone weighs 192.75 metric carats and measures 1.05 cm high and 5.2 x 3.5 cm at the waist. diamond fund of Russia.
Another large olivine weighing 146 carats is on display in London at the Geological Museum.
Olivine can be easily distinguished from other gemstones that have exactly the same refractive power by its high refractive index which is around 0.037. Olivine stone and chrysolite stone are very similar and in order to distinguish them it is enough to compare their densities, olivine will have a lower density.
Olivine is found in peridot, gabbro, dolerite, basalt and dunite rocks. In almost all rocks, with the exception of basalt, olivine occurs in the form of irregular grains and occasionally occurs in the form of well-formed crystals. Olivine is also part of some stony meteorites.
On the island of Zebirget, which is located in the western part of the Red Sea and about 80 km from the Egyptian port of Berenice, large transparent olivine jewelry was found, which was very much appreciated because of its green color. These stones, after cutting, weighed mainly from 20 to 30 carats, and some specimens weighed even more and their weight reached 80 carats. The largest olivine found in this place in its raw form weighed 190 carats.
There are many other olivine deposits, but many of them are not suitable for large-scale mining, as they contain very little olivine. Light green stones have been found in Australia at Toowoomba and in Queensland, in Upper Burma in the Bernardino Valley near Mogok, in Norway at Almeklovdalen. In Brazil, in the state of Minas Gerais, not very large olivines are found during diamond mining. In the United States, in Gila County, Arizona, olivines are found in the form of aggregates in basalts.