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Color:
Combination of two to three colors, depending upon the direction
it's viewed: Brown to yellowish green, Greenish, Orangey
Brown
Clarity:
Type
II
Optic Character: DR
Biaxial negative
Cause
of Color: Charge
transfers involving titanium and iron/oxygen ion pairs
Fluorescence: Inert
Fracture
: Uneven
to concoidal
Luster
:
Vitreous
Cleavage : Distinct;
one direction
Durability:
Fair
to good
Characteristics
for Identification:
Strong
pleochroism, accicular rutile inclusions
Source:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Sri Lanka,
Canada, China, Russia, USA
Other
Varieties : Viridine
(green) and
Chiastolite
(translucent to opaque with a cross-like pattern)
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Andalusite
Al2SiO5
Andalusite
is a little known and much underappreciated gem. It is
highly pleochroic, meaning, it appears to be different
colors depending upon which direction the stone is viewed.
The most common colors are a bronzed red coupled with
a golden green.
Although it is often refereed to as "poor man's alexandrite"
because of the tone of it's pleochroic colors, it actually
does NOT have the ability to change colors, like alexandrite
does.
It
is said to stimulate the memory and recollection. Not
only recent memory, but it is actually attributed with
the ability to make one able to remember their past lives.
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Andalusite
is named after Andalusia, the province of Spain
where it was first discovered.
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Andalusite
can be confused with:
Tourmaline
Topaz
Apatite
Chrysoberyl
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