RocksdayAmazonite vs Turquoise
How to tell them apart
A blue-green variety of microcline feldspar, often with white streaks and blocky cleavage.
Photo: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.0 br
A copper aluminum phosphate prized for its sky-blue to green color, often webbed with brown or black host rock ('matrix').
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick tests
- Streak (rub on unglazed porcelain): Amazonite leaves a white streak; Turquoise leaves white to greenish.
Key differences
- Turquoise is waxy, porous and often webbed with brown matrix.
Side by side
| Property | Amazonite | Turquoise |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 6–6.5 | 5–6 |
| Luster | Vitreous | Waxy to dull |
| Streak | White | White to greenish |
| Colors | Green, Blue, White | Blue, Green |
| Crystal system | Triclinic | Triclinic |
| Specific gravity | 2.56–2.58 | 2.6–2.9 |
| Formula | KAlSi₃O₈ | CuAl₆(PO₄)₄(OH)₈·4H₂O |
| Found in | Pikes Peak, Colorado; Ilmen Mountains, Russia | Arizona; Nevada |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify amazonite
- Turquoise to mint green with fine white streaks or grid patterns.
- Flat, shiny cleavage faces at right angles.
- Hardness about 6 — scratches glass slightly.
Crystal system: Triclinic
Full Amazonite guide →How to identify turquoise
- Opaque sky blue to green with a waxy look.
- Often veined with brown or black matrix.
- Never forms visible crystals — always massive nuggets or veins.
- Porous: it can darken when oiled.
Crystal system: Triclinic
Full Turquoise guide →More comparisons
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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