Euclase is a mineral with a hardness of 8 out of 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness [?]. These Monoclinicly structured gems are made of beryllium aluminum hydrosilicate, their full chemical compound being Be(Al,OH)SiO4.

Euclase is a silicate with a monoclinic crystal system. It is considered a very rare gem of light blue color.

It appears as long or short prismatic crystals, flattened and transparent.

It is colorless, white, green, or blue, commonly a pale aquamarine or green, but crystals of a very fine dark blue (from iron) have been found at the Miami mine in Zimbabwe. Crystals are often striated.

It is very hard, light, with one direction of perfect cleavage and conchoidal fracture. It is transparent to translucent with bright, vitreous luster. It is insoluble and fuses with difficulty.

Euclase occurs principally in granite pegmatites associated with topaz. It can also occur in alluvial placer sediments and geodes.

The finest crystals of colorless, blue and green gem-quality euclase have been mined near Ouro Prieto, Minas Gerais (Brazil). Crystals up to 5cm or larger have been found. Other sources in Kenya, Tanzania, Sanarka River (Soviet Republics), Ireland, Australia, and Park County, Colorado (USA)

It can be confused with topaz, aquamarine, beryl, and hiddenite, and is sometimes erroneously called "prismatic emerald."

The specific gravity [?] for Euclase is 3.1, it's refractive index [?] is 1.65-1.67, and it's double refraction [?] is 0.019.

History

Its name derives from its quality of having perfect cleavage, leading Rene Hauy to call it after the Greek words for "fracture" and "easily." It is formed from the decomposition of beryl.

Industrial Usages

Euclase is occasionally faceted into gems with high brilliance. Because of its perfect cleavage, it is difficult to cut, but a number of faceted specimens exist, and are prized by collectors.

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Terms

Double Refraction or dr is the ability of a mineral to separate a refracted ray of light into 2 rays. If held over an image or text it will display the object 2x its original size.

Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness is the standard used to categorize a mineral's ability to resist scratching. It gets its name from Friedrich Mohs, the German geologist who first created the scale.

RI or Refractive Index defines light's ability to move through the mineral or in a general sense, any material.

SG or Specific Gravity is the ratio of the weight of any substance to that of pure water at temperature of 3.98°C(39.2°F) and standard atmospheric pressure. This is important to note when actively seeking these minerals in the wild. Minerals with a higher SG will settle below material with a lower sg over time.