Andalusite Value, Price, and Jewelry Informa on

4.49-ct andalusite, medium-dark brownish green/orange-brown, round brilliant cut, 10.1 mm, Brazil. © The Gem Trader. Used with permission.

Strongly pleochroic, andalusite can show shades of green, brown, and red when viewed from different direc ons. Although tough enough for most jewelry
this strikingly beau ful stone is largely unknown to the gem buying public.

Andalusite Value
The Interna onal Gem Society (IGS) has a list of businesses offering gemstone appraisal services.

Andalusite Value via Gem Price Guide

Top Color: YG 5/2 and O 5/4

Faceted 1 to 4 carats 4 carats plus

Top color    to   /ct to   ,000/ct

Medium color    to   /ct to   /ct

See the en re Gem Price Guide.

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Andalusite Informa on
DATA VALUE

Name Andalusite

Varie es Chiastolite, Viridine

Crystallography  Orthorhombic. Crystals prisma c, striated, square in cross sec on. Massive, compact.

Refrac ve Index  1.629-1.690

Colors  Pinkish, reddish-brown, rose-red, whi sh, grayish, yellowish, violet, greenish, colorless.

Luster  Vitreous to subvitreous.

Fracture  Even to subconchoidal

Hardness  6.5 - 7.5

Specific Gravity  3.13 - 3.17

Birefringence  0.007-0.011. (Viridine: 0.029).

Cleavage  Dis nct 1 direc on

Dispersion  0.016

Heat Sensi vity No

Luminescence  None in LW. Brown fluorescence in SW (Lancaster, Massachuse s). Dark green or yellow-green fluorescence in SW (brown-green gems from Brazil).

Wearability  Very Good

Special Care None

Instruc ons

Transparency  Transparent to opaque.

Absorp on Deep green varie es from Brazil display Mn spectrum: knife-edge shadow at 5535, fine lines at 5505 and 5475; faint lines at 5180, 4950, and 4550.
Spectrum 

Phenomena  Chatoyancy (cat's eye), very rare.

Formula Al2SiO5 + Fe

Pleochroism  Strongly pleochroic; olive green to flesh-red (Brazil). Usually yellow/green/red. Blue andalusite from Belgium: blue/colorless/colorless.

Op cs  α = 1.629 – 1.640; β = 1.633 – 1.644 γ = 1.638-1.650. Near-colorless andalusite reported at low end of this range; green material at upper end. Viridine: 1.6
Biaxial (-), 2V = 73 - 86°.

Etymology A er Andalusia, Spain (but see “Sources” below). Chiastolite is from the Greek chiastos, “arranged diagonally,” because the pa ern of carbon inclusions in th
resembles the Greek le er chi, which is wri en “X.” Viridine alludes to the viridescent or “greenish” color of this variety.

Occurrence Metamorphic rocks, usually slates and schists as a contact mineral, or developed within mica schist or gneiss. Also as a detrital mineral and very rarely in
pegma tes and granites.

Inclusions  Veils and ru le needles (common); liquid inclusions, hema te flakes (Brazilian material); carbonaceous inclusions (chiastolite).
 Andalusite: Brazil (7.55, 2.40, 2.92, 9.55). Photo © Joel E. Arem, PhD, FGA. Used with permission.

Comments
Andalusite is polymorphous with kyanite and sillimanite. This means these gemstones share the same chemistry but have different crystal habits. Although
andalusite occurs abundantly as a mineral, material transparent enough to facet occurs quite rarely.

Andalusite has very dis nc ve and a rac ve pleochroism. This gem can show up to three different colors (trichroism) depending on the viewing angle and
gem’s cut and orienta on. Some mes, andalusites can even show mul ple colors from one viewing angle. Gem shapes with a long axis such as ovals, marqu
emerald cuts tend to show one color near the center and a second, usually darker color, near the ends. Square and round cuts usually blend the colors into
mosaic.

Some mes, lapidaries cut these stones to show pink and almost colorless shades. Others cut to display green in the center of these stones, with browns or
other combina ons on the ps, depending on the rough orienta on before cu ng.

Poorly cut and polished stones may appear dull. As Type II clarity grade gems, andalusites usually contain inclusions. However, a large, eye clean, well-cut
andalusite demands a en on. With a hardness of 6.5 to 7.5, it could find a home in almost any jewelry se ng.
 3.01-ct andalusite, eye clean, medium-dark yellowish green/reddish brown, pear brilliant cut, 14.3 x 6.9 mm, Brazil. © The Gem Trader. Used with
permission.

Varie es
Cat’s Eyes
Fibrous inclusions in andalusites may create a chatoyant effect. Lapidaries can some mes cab such stones to showcase this. However, such cat’s eye piece
extremely rare.

Viridine
This grass to deep green variety of andalusite contains manganese.
 Grass-green to brown viridine crystals on matrix, 4.5 x 2.7 x 2.3 cm, Recruta Farm, Vitoria da Conquista, Bahia, Northeast Region, Brazil. © Rob
Lavinsky, www.iRocks.com. Used with permission.

Blue Andalusite
Andalusites from O ré, Belgium have a blue color due to an Fe+2-Fe+3 charge transfer mechanism.

Chiastolite
Chiastolites are gray crystals with black, carbonaceous inclusions in cruciform pa erns in their interior. Due to these impuri es, chiastolite has a lower hard
and specific gravity (SG) than other andalusite varie es. Since it’s opaque, this variety is cut more or less as a curiosity. Typically, cross sec ons of chiastolit
show well-formed black crosses on a gray background. However, occasionally lapidaries cut these specimens into different shapes, such as spheres.
 Handmade chiastolite jewelry from Laraquete, Bío Bío Region, Chile. Photo by Mar del Sur. Licensed under CC By-SA 4.0.

You may find chiastolites for sale as trapiche andalusites. The trapiche phenomenon in andalusites is currently being studied.

Iden fying Characteris cs

With its trichroism and red, green, and brown colors, andalusite may seem easy to dis nguish from other gemstones. However, tourmalines have a similar
hardness, color range, SG range, and moderate to strong pleochroism as well. Too casual observa ons of pleochroic colors can lead to confusion between t
two different species of gems. (On the other hand, andalusites have a biaxial op c character, while tourmalines have a uniaxial op c character).

In fact, clever cu ng can mimic andalusite’s strong pleochroism. For example, a predominantly brown synthe c quartz piece with a shallow green layer nea
periphery was cut to show off both the colors, as real andalusites might. Again, more careful observa on will dis nguish the real item from a simulant.
 Faceted andalusite. Photo by Casse-cailloux. Public Domain. (Cropped to show detail).

Synthe cs
Scien sts have synthesized andalusite crystals via the hydrothermal method for research purposes. However, there is no known jewelry use for this materia
gem becomes more well known, perhaps that will change.

Enhancements
Andalusites may rarely receive heat treatments to improve color.

Sources
Andalusite is eponymous with Andalusia, a region in southern Spain. This gem received this name from the French mineralogist Jean-Claude Delamétherie i
a er its supposed source. However, the material he examined came from Cas le-La Mancha, a region squarely in the center of Spain. In fact, andalusite’s
chiastolite variety had already been described by the Spaniard José Turrubia in 1754. Nevertheless, the name “andalusite” stuck, and so did references to A
as the type locality. Although Andalusia does produce colorless andalusites, the type locality should be noted as El Cardoso de la Sierra, Guadalajara, Cas le
Mancha, Spain.

Currently, Brazil is the main source of these gems. They can be found as pebbles in stream beds or on hillsides under layers of clay.

Other notable gem sources include the following:

United States: California; Colorado; Maine; Massachuse s; New Mexico; Pennsylvania; South Dakota (Black Hills).

Belgium: blue crystals.

Myanmar: dull green material found in gem gravels.

Sri Lanka: gem material found as waterworn pebbles, some mes large size.

Australia; Austria; Madagascar; Russia; Spain; Zimbabwe.

 Large andalusite crystal, Jenipapo Mine, Taquaral area, Minas Gerais, Brazil. © Rob Lavinsky,
www.iRocks.com. Used with permission.

Stone Sizes
Gems from Brazil can reach 75-100 carats. However, gems from most locali es usually range from 1 to 5 carats. Andalusites in the 5 to 10-carat range cost
mes more per carat than smaller stones. Stones over 10 carats are quite rare. Those over 20 carats are s ll rarer.

Smithsonian Ins tu on (Washington, DC): 28.3 (brown, Brazil), 13.5 (green/brown, Brazil).

Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto, Canada): 12.44 (Brazil).

Care
Although resistant to scratching due to its hardness, andalusite has dis nct cleavage and bri le tenacity. Therefore, ring stones should have protec ve se
avoid blows.

Before subjec ng any rare andalusites to mechanical cleaning systems, have a gemologist examine them and iden fy any inclusions they may have. While
andalusites have a “Very Good” wearability score, inclusions of liquids or other minerals could sha er if heated or vibrated, thus damaging your gems. In the
mean me, to be safe, use a so brush, mild detergent, and warm water instead. Consult our gemstone jewelry cleaning guide for more recommenda ons.
 Andalusites. Photos courtesy of Barbara Smigel, Ar s c Colored Stones.

by Joel E. Arem, Ph.D., FGA, Donald Clark, CSM IMG, Barbara Smigel, PhD. GG

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