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Green, also blue, peach, gray

Aventurine crystals

Aventurine is quartz with platy mineral inclusions, usually fuchsite mica, green, also blue, peach, gray, rated 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale. Traditionally, it is the stone of opportunity and taking a calculated risk — attributed, not demonstrated.

Mohs hardness
6.5–7 scratches window glass
Crystal system
Trigonal
Main sources today
India also Brazil, Russia

Stones described in similar terms: lepidolite, jade, bloodstone, sodalite and rose quartz.

Listed under: May birthstone.

Linked in crystal practice with the heart chakra.

Further along the same lines: malachite, alexandrite and lapis lazuli.

Aventurine Crystals: Meaning, Hardness and Origins

Is Aventurine a birthstone?

Yes. Aventurine is the alternative birthstone for May.

Properties

Composition Quartz with platy mineral inclusions, usually fuchsite mica
Hardness (Mohs) 6.5–7
Crystal system Trigonal
Color Green, also blue, peach, gray
Mined in India, Brazil, Russia, Tanzania

Worth knowing

The glitter is aventurescence — light bouncing off flat mica inclusions suspended inside the quartz.

History

Named from the Italian a ventura, "by chance", after a glassmaking accident in Murano.

Buying

Buying Aventurine: fakes, value and treatments

What it is confused with

Goldstone, a man-made glass with copper flecks, and dyed quartzite sold as "Indian jade".

What decides the price

Inexpensive; an even color with a fine sparkle is preferred.

Where it is used

Beads, tumbled stones and carvings.

A less familiar fact

The green color and glitter come from tiny flakes of the chromium mica fuchsite.

Practical

Caring for Aventurine

How to clean it

Warm soapy water. Fades in sunlight over time.

How to tell it is real

Goldstone — a manufactured glass with copper flecks — is often mistaken for aventurine. Goldstone glitter is uniform and dense; aventurine sparkle is scattered and irregular.

How to store stones so they do not scratch each other →

How hard is Aventurine?

Aventurine is a quartz rock packed with mica flakes, a little softer and grainier than clear crystal. Its green also fades in sunlight over time.

Aventurine on the Mohs hardness scale
Aventurine on the Mohs hardness scaleMohs scale from talc (1) to diamond (10), with the 43 stones of our reference as dots and Aventurine (6.5–7) marked as a bar.Aventurine: Mohs 6.5–7Aventurine 6.5–7Garnet: Mohs 6.5–7.5Amethyst: Mohs 7Citrine: Mohs 7Rose Quartz: Mohs 7Clear Quartz: Mohs 7Smoky Quartz: Mohs 7Aquamarine: Mohs 7.5–8Emerald: Mohs 7.5–8Bloodstone: Mohs 6.5–7Peridot: Mohs 6.5–7Sardonyx: Mohs 6.5–7Zircon: Mohs 6–7.5Carnelian: Mohs 6.5–7Onyx: Mohs 6.5–7Agate: Mohs 6.5–7Tiger's Eye: Mohs 6.5–7Aventurine: Mohs 6.5–7Diamond: Mohs 10Pearl: Mohs 2.5–4.5Alexandrite: Mohs 8.5Moonstone: Mohs 6–6.5Labradorite: Mohs 6–6.5Pyrite: Mohs 6–6.5Ruby: Mohs 9Sapphire: Mohs 9Spinel: Mohs 8Topaz: Mohs 8Opal: Mohs 5.5–6.5Rhodonite: Mohs 5.5–6.5Tourmaline: Mohs 7–7.5Turquoise: Mohs 5–6Lapis Lazuli: Mohs 5–6Hematite: Mohs 5–6Tanzanite: Mohs 6–7Jade: Mohs 6–7Obsidian: Mohs 5–5.5Malachite: Mohs 3.5–4Amber: Mohs 2–2.5Selenite: Mohs 2Fluorite: Mohs 4Sodalite: Mohs 5.5–6Kyanite: Mohs 4.5–7Lepidolite: Mohs 2.5–31Talc2Gypsum3Calcite4Fluorite5Apatite6Orthoclase7Quartz8Topaz9Corundum10Diamondfingernail 2.5window glass 5.5household dust (quartz) 7Source: Mohs scale minerals · ranges from our 43-stone referenceastrohot.com
Aventurine on the Mohs hardness scaleMohs scale from talc (1) to diamond (10), with the 43 stones of our reference as dots and Aventurine (6.5–7) marked as a bar.Aventurine: Mohs 6.5–7Aventurine 6.5–71Talc2Gypsum3Calcite4Fluorite5Apatite6Orthoclase7Quartz8Topaz9Corundum10Diamondfingernail 2.5glass 5.5dust 7Source: Mohs scale minerals · ranges from our 43-stone referenceastrohot.com

Aventurine, at 6.5–7, is harder than 19 of the other 42 stones here and softer than 15, with 8 level with it.

Traditional associations

Aventurine is traditionally the stone of opportunity and taking a calculated risk. Chakra in crystal practice: Heart. Element: Earth.

What is measured here and what is tradition →

Questions about Aventurine

What is Aventurine made of?

Quartz with platy mineral inclusions, usually fuchsite mica, crystallizing in the trigonal system.

Which month is Aventurine the birthstone for?

Only as an alternative stone, for May.

Where does Aventurine come from?

India, Brazil, Russia, Tanzania.

Can Aventurine be worn every day?

Yes. It rates 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale, and the main thing to watch is sunlight, which fades the green over time.

← All gemstones

Cite this page

AstroHot. “Aventurine Crystals: Meaning, Hardness and Origins.” Accessed October 28, 2026. https://astrohot.com/crystals/gemstones/aventurine/

For Wikipedia {{cite web |title=Aventurine Crystals: Meaning, Hardness and Origins |url=https://astrohot.com/crystals/gemstones/aventurine/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-28}}