PREHNITE GEMSTONE
PREHNITE GEMSTONE
Prehnite was named after Colonel Hendrik von Prehn, a Dutch mineralogist in 1788. It is the first mineral named after its discoverer. It was also the first mineral to be described that came from South Africa long before the country became an important source for precious and semi-precious stones.
Other precious stones named after their discoverers include: Hiddenite (W.E. Hidden), Kunzite (George Frederic Kunz), Morganite (J.P. Morgan) and Zoisite (Sigmund Zois).
Prehnite is composed of hydrated calcium aluminum silicate. It comes in a soft yellow-green to apple-green color.
Prehnite has a hardness ranging from 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale. It has a brittle tenacity with good cleavage, which means that it is a fragile stone. However, with a protective-style setting, prehnite can be used for just about any type of jewelry. When cut and polished, it has a vitreous to pearly luster. Many specimens have a captivating glowing quality.
Most prehnite are translucent and rarely transparent, though specimens that are transparent have been found. Cat's eye prehnite is known but extremely rare and these are cut en cabochon to maximize chatoyancy.
The most sought-after prehnite is the one with a soft apple-green color whereas the most highly sought after by mineral collectors are the rarest occurrences of prehnite which come in blue, pink, white, colorless and orange colors. In April 2000, a rare orange colored prehnite was discovered in South Africa.
Chinese call prehnite the "grape jade" due to the fact that prehnite is often found in a grape-like aggregate forms.
When heated, prehnite crystals can sometimes give off water. Prehnite is not known to be treated or enhanced in any way.
There are several precious stones that have a similar appearance in color and luster to that of prehnite. These include Jade, Apatite, Serpentine, Brazilianite, Periclase, Chrysoprase, Peridot, Smithsonite and Hemimorphite.
Prehnite is a powerful stone of protection, and is known as the Stone of Prophecy. Through meditation prehnite is a great bridge for communication with the spirit world. It is also a great vehicle used for astral projection.
It is considered a powerful dream stone. It promotes lucid dreaming. It is a booster of energy and invigorating power. It is also a booster of intuition.
Prehnite is also known as the stone of unconditional love for it is said that it is the glue that connects the Will and the Heart.
Prehnite, especially the blue colored transparent type, can be made into engagement rings.
The precious stone Prehnite is said to inspire forgiveness and acceptance and is believed to help those who suffer from claustrophobia.
To clean your Prehnite simply use a soft cloth with warm soapy water. Make sure to rinse well and remove all soapy residue.
Deposits of Prehnite are found in places including South Africa, Australia, China, Scotland, Canada, Germany, France and in the United States.
Prehnite was named after Colonel Hendrik von Prehn, a Dutch mineralogist in 1788. It is the first mineral named after its discoverer. It was also the first mineral to be described that came from South Africa long before the country became an important source for precious and semi-precious stones.
Other precious stones named after their discoverers include: Hiddenite (W.E. Hidden), Kunzite (George Frederic Kunz), Morganite (J.P. Morgan) and Zoisite (Sigmund Zois).
Prehnite is composed of hydrated calcium aluminum silicate. It comes in a soft yellow-green to apple-green color.
Prehnite has a hardness ranging from 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale. It has a brittle tenacity with good cleavage, which means that it is a fragile stone. However, with a protective-style setting, prehnite can be used for just about any type of jewelry. When cut and polished, it has a vitreous to pearly luster. Many specimens have a captivating glowing quality.
Most prehnite are translucent and rarely transparent, though specimens that are transparent have been found. Cat's eye prehnite is known but extremely rare and these are cut en cabochon to maximize chatoyancy.
The most sought-after prehnite is the one with a soft apple-green color whereas the most highly sought after by mineral collectors are the rarest occurrences of prehnite which come in blue, pink, white, colorless and orange colors. In April 2000, a rare orange colored prehnite was discovered in South Africa.
Chinese call prehnite the "grape jade" due to the fact that prehnite is often found in a grape-like aggregate forms.
When heated, prehnite crystals can sometimes give off water. Prehnite is not known to be treated or enhanced in any way.
There are several precious stones that have a similar appearance in color and luster to that of prehnite. These include Jade, Apatite, Serpentine, Brazilianite, Periclase, Chrysoprase, Peridot, Smithsonite and Hemimorphite.
Prehnite is a powerful stone of protection, and is known as the Stone of Prophecy. Through meditation prehnite is a great bridge for communication with the spirit world. It is also a great vehicle used for astral projection.
It is considered a powerful dream stone. It promotes lucid dreaming. It is a booster of energy and invigorating power. It is also a booster of intuition.
Prehnite is also known as the stone of unconditional love for it is said that it is the glue that connects the Will and the Heart.
Prehnite, especially the blue colored transparent type, can be made into engagement rings.
The precious stone Prehnite is said to inspire forgiveness and acceptance and is believed to help those who suffer from claustrophobia.
To clean your Prehnite simply use a soft cloth with warm soapy water. Make sure to rinse well and remove all soapy residue.
Deposits of Prehnite are found in places including South Africa, Australia, China, Scotland, Canada, Germany, France and in the United States.