
Amazonite is an attractive blue green variety of the mineral microcline whose color is caused by lead. Part of the family of rock forming minerals known as feldspar which accounts for over half of the earth’s crust, microcline is one of the most common of all feldspar minerals.
Only blue green varieties of the mineral microcline may correctly be referred to as amazonite. Although named after the Amazon in Brazil, the mineral amazonite is not found anywhere near there. It’s believed it was mixed up with another green stone that was found there around the same time. It is believed that the stone that was actually found by the Amazon river was nephrite jade.
