Amazonite: Healing Properties, History and Benefits
Amazonite is a unique stone with the blue-green hues you might find in a precious jade, but the coloring is cut with the rich, dark deposits of smoky quartz — from which it might be taken— or drippings of white quartz. Some wrongly call it the Amazon jade, even though it was first used in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Some people call Amazonite the “playmate” as it is both playful and optimistic. As you discover more about Amazonite, you may find it is the friend you’ve always needed.
What is Amazonite?
Amazonite is the trade name for a greenish and striated stone with the chemical formula KAISi3O8. The stone often features strokes of white or beige that come to the surface and change as they circle the stone. These streaks are quartz and feldspar inclusions, varying in color and sometimes obscuring the stone’s rich greens. External streaks come from smoky quartz stains.
Its intense green coloring comes from a high lead content, and it was first named after the Amazon River even though no deposits are found there. Traders simply called it the “Amazon stone” to give it a bit of intrigue as it mirrors the colors of the river and the jungle.
Misnomers are common as some traders call this a “green amethyst” or “yellow emerald.” With a Mohs hardness of 6 to 6.5, the stone is not as durable as other gemstones. For this reason, it is not as popular on the commercial jewelry market.
Shop our Amazonite 'Tranquility' Bracelet.
Why Should You Buy Amazonite?
Amazonite is more than the playful and optimistic friend you need in your life. Amazonite is an uplifting spirit that helps you see the bright side of everything in life. Think of Amazonite as the friend that reminds you, “everything happens for a reason.”
Amazonite is a healer, and it offers a calming vibration that carries you through times of trouble. It also has an energy that reminds you to go with the flow — of life. The universe is making decisions that you cannot possibly comprehend or explain. You must allow the cosmos to do its work, and Amazonite helps you stand back and wait for good things to happen.
Related to both the heart chakra and throat chakra, the stone both invites love and helps you communicate. It may have graced the shields of Amazonian warriors in South America in the 10th Century B.C. — because deposits are found far away from the river in what is now known as Minas Gerais.
Some even call it the “hope stone” because of its fluid nature. It gives you hope because you know something new is just around the corner.
How to Use Amazonite
Keep the stone with you at all times, especially if you feel uneasy about certain situations. Not only does the stone give you hope, but it allows you to propel yourself forward in life. The anxiety you feel in these moments tends to melt away when you have Amazonite close by, and you might lay several stones throughout your home for added protection.
Finally, you can place the stone on your wrist, allowing it to connect with the flow of your heart. You can reduce anxiety with this simple technique, or you can lie down to rest with the stone directly over your heart. If you feel overwhelming anxiety, you may wish to lay multiple Amazonite stones on different parts of your body — almost as if it’s a weighted blanket of positive energy.
The Benefits of Amazonite
You know the old saying — the best-laid plans…
Amazonite helps you realize that those plans don’t always work out the way you would like. Amazonite gives you hope, but it also helps you take on a new endeavor — even when it might be scary. It’s as if the stone is in your ear, reminding you that you can do anything.
In effect, the stone changes your perspective. When your friends and loved ones comfort you, Amazonite helps you hear their words. You don’t feel as empty when Amazonite is around because you realize those around you are right:
- When one door closes, another one opens
- There are plenty of fish in the sea
- You shouldn’t be where you are not wanted
- You have so much life left to live
- You can do anything you set your mind to
Amazonite also helps you accept change. Because the stone tends to go with the flow, you can relax as things change around you. Since you cannot alter the very fabric of the universe, Amazonite serves as the “serenity” stone that helps you accept circumstances you did not choose.
While Amazonite connects to the heart chakra, you should keep it close to your heart for hope more than for love. Amazonite helps you feel stronger when you sense hopelessness in the air — giving you the idea that there is a silver lining on every cloud.
Where Can You Find Amazonite?
Amazonite occurs in locations across the world, often living among pegmatites and other minerals. When the stone develops in a hidden place, its green hues are almost untouched. Amazonite granite is a special mixture found in a few locations throughout the world.
The most significant deposits of Amazonite are located in the United States, Afghanistan, Australia, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Namibia, Norway, Ethiopia, Madagascar, China, Brazil, and Canada.
In the U.S. alone, deposits are found across Colorado up to Pike’s Peak and into Devils Head, St. Peter’s Dome, Crystal Peak, Deer Trail, and the Tarryall Mountains. Media and Middletown in Pennsylvania both sport rich deposits, and the Morefield and Rutherford Mines in Amelia County. Virginia is also known for its Amazonite finds.
A Few Final Thoughts
Amazonite is not a stone that allows you to ignore the troubles of the world — it helps you confront those troubles and move past them. Keep Amazonite close to enrich your spirit and live in a hopeful world.
