Fuchsite

A sparkly green chromium-rich variety of muscovite mica.

Fuchsite specimen — Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify fuchsite

Emerald-green glittery flakes.
Peels into thin, flexible sheets.
Soft — a fingernail scratches it.

Often confused with

Aventurine
Aventurine is hard quartz sprinkled with fuchsite flakes.
Compare side by side
Muscovite
Ordinary muscovite isn't green.
Compare side by side

Where it's found

Minas Gerais, Brazil
India
Zimbabwe

Uses

Decorative stone and carvings.

Rock tumbling

Not suitable for tumbling.

Did you know?

The shimmer in green aventurine comes from tiny flakes of fuchsite.

Think you could spot it from a blurry close-up?

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