Gem library
Variscite
Turquoise's green cousin
Variscite is a hydrated aluminium phosphate of apple green to blue-green, so close to turquoise that it was long sold under its name. The mines of Gavà in Catalonia also make it one of the oldest stones ever worked by humanity.
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 4 – 5
- Density
- 2.42 – 2.60
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Refractive index
- 1.563 – 1.594
- Cleavage
- Good on {201}, invisible in masses
Mineralogical identity
- Family
- Variscite — phosphate group
- Species
- Variscite
- Chemical formula
- AlPO₄·2H₂O
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic (cryptocrystalline aggregate)
- Classification
- Semi-precious stone
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Indicative price
- €5 – 40/ct
Etymology
Named in 1837 by August Breithaupt after Variscia, the Latin name of the Vogtland, the region of Saxony where it was first described.
Physical & optical properties
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 4 – 5
- Density
- 2.42 – 2.60
- Refractive index
- 1.563 – 1.594
- Birefringence
- 0.031
- Cleavage
- Good on {201}, invisible in masses
- Fracture
- Uneven to splintery
- Lustre
- Waxy to vitreous
- Diaphaneity
- Translucent to opaque
- UV fluorescence
- None
- Pleochroism
- None
- Colours
- green, apple-green, blue-green, yellow-green
Formation, geology & history
Formation and deposits
Variscite forms where phosphate-rich waters — often of organic origin — meet aluminous rocks, at the surface and at low temperature. It fills fissures and forms nodules in shale, sandstone and limestone. The nodules of Fairfield, Utah, are the most spectacular: balls several centimetres across in which the green variscite is cut up by a network of brown crandallite and wardite veins, a pattern that made the stone's commercial reputation under the name «variquoise». In Spain, at Gavà, the veins are purer and of a clean, almost even green.
The Neolithic mines of Gavà
The site of Gavà, near Barcelona, holds the oldest known underground mining complex in western Europe: galleries and shafts dug with deer antler and wood between 4000 and 3400 BCE, to extract variscite. The beads and pendants that came out of them have been found in burials spread over hundreds of kilometres, from Languedoc to Andalusia — evidence of a long-distance exchange network well before writing. Variscite is thus one of the few gems whose first trade we know precisely, and it is nearly six thousand years old.
A soft, porous stone
With a hardness of 4 to 5 and real porosity, variscite behaves like turquoise: it absorbs liquids, stains, and its polish dulls with use. Many pieces are resin-stabilised to allow polishing and setting — a treatment accepted in this kind of material, but one that must be disclosed. It fears soapy water as much as perspiration and cosmetics. It is a fine ornamental stone, best reserved for pendants and little-exposed pieces, and protected the way one protects turquoise.
How to recognise it
- Green without true blueVariscite leans toward apple green and yellow-green; turquoise toward sky blue. A clear green in a turquoise-looking stone points to variscite.
- The brown networkUtah nodules show a characteristic network of brown or white veins dividing the green into cells. That pattern, different from turquoise's black «spiderweb», is very recognisable.
- SoftnessA steel point marks it clearly — hardness 4 to 5. A green turquoise-looking stone that resists steel is more likely chrysoprase or silicified serpentine.
Imitations, treatments & confusions
- Variscite sold as turquoiseThe historical confusion, often in good faith given how alike they are. Turquoise is a copper phosphate and blue; variscite an aluminium phosphate and green. Prices differ appreciably for fine qualities.
- Resin and «reconstituted turquoise»Phosphate or magnesite powders bound with resin and dyed green. Very light, warm, and the colour perfectly homogeneous. A hot point in a hidden area gives them away.
- Dyed howlite and magnesiteWhite to begin with, dyed green or blue and sold as turquoise or variscite. The dye shows in the veins, darker than the ground — the opposite of natural variscite.
Deposits & origins
United States (Fairfield and Lucin in Utah — the famous nodules with a vein network; Nevada, Arkansas), Spain (Gavà in Catalonia — mines worked from the Neolithic; Palazuelo de las Cuevas), Australia (Queensland), Bolivia, Brazil, Germany (Vogtland, type locality), Austria
Care & precautions
- Dry cleaning with a soft cloth only. Avoid water: variscite is porous and stains permanently.
- Never ultrasonic, steam or detergent — even diluted, it penetrates and marks the stone.
- Avoid heat, prolonged sun, perfume, creams and perspiration, which turn the surface green or brown.
- Store away from light and from any harder stone; at 4-5, almost everything scratches it.
Traditions & crystal healing
- Chakras
- Heart · solar plexus
- Zodiac signs
- Taurus · Virgo
- Element
- Earth
- Month
- April
Contemporary crystal healing associates variscite with the heart and with grounding: a stone of quiet hope, linked to discreet courage and to convalescence. Its Neolithic history has more recently earned it a reputation as a stone of ancestors and of long memory, worn as a link to origins.
The virtues described here belong to tradition and cultural heritage. They are in no way medical advice and never replace a consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Variscite or turquoise?
Two different phosphates: turquoise contains copper and leans blue, variscite aluminium and leans green. Both are soft and porous, and alike enough that the confusion is old and frequent.
Can variscite go in water?
No. It is porous and absorbs liquids, which stain it lastingly. Clean it with a dry cloth, and remove any jewellery before washing your hands.
What is «variquoise»?
An American trade name for the Utah variscite nodules, where green is crossed by a network of brown veins. It is variscite, not a mixture of variscite and turquoise despite what the word suggests.