Description
Greenlandite was discovered in the 1960s during exploration of the large iron deposit Isukasia, north of Nuuk. Greenlandite was later discovered in several locations in the Godhabsfjord area. It was later determined that the geological environment in which greenlandite was formed is on the order of 3.8 billion years old, making it one of the oldest formations on Earth. Geologically speaking, the rock consists of quartzite with a high proportion of the green mineral – fuchsite – evenly distributed, giving the stone a fresh green color. Quartzite is made of fine-grained quartz, while the chromium-bearing fuchsite appears to glitter, with fine sequins scattered throughout the rock. Greenlandite is a hard mineral, often translucent with a metallic inner glow emanating from the numerous sequins. This type of stone is also known in the jewelry trade as aventurine quartz. Greenlandite has been used as a gemstone in Greenland for many years, rightfully marketed as "the world's oldest gemstone." Green aventurine quartz has long been known as an Indian or Brazilian gemstone, and more recently, stones from southern Africa have appeared that are difficult to distinguish from greenlandite. Experts note that the color of greenlandite is more of a bluish green than that of foreign varieties of aventurine quartz. Any confusion with jade (nephrite) (hardness H = 6) can be resolved with a hardness test.
