Aventurine

A variety of quartz containing glistening fragments (usually mica, such as fuchsite, but also hematite), which can be cut and polished as a gemstone. Most commonly when the general public encounter this stone it is in the form of green stone beads that can be anywhere from a pale to a medium green colour. Frequently these beads have been treated with oil to make the stone look a darker colour than it would naturally or even dyed to make the colour more attractive. Aventurine can also be other colours but the most common colour is green. Aventurine is a general term that is used by different commercial interests to mean several different kinds of stones (compare Aventurine Feldspar). Compare with prasiolite, prase and plasma. Not to be confused with Aventurine glass or goldstone, a synthetic reddish (due to copper inclusions) or greenish (due to chromium) glass used as a "gem" material.