Variscite
Last updated: April 2026
A hydrated aluminum phosphate mineral prized as a green ornamental stone. Often confused with turquoise but lacks the blue component and copper content. Primary sources include Nevada and Utah (USA), Australia, and Germany (Vogtland — hence 'variscite' from 'Variscia', the Latin name for Vogtland).
Variscite has a specific gravity of 2.52 and a refractive index of 1.560–1.590, with a Mohs hardness of 3.5–4.5. It is biaxial −.
Physical & Optical Properties
Measured with a polariscope, a refractometer, a hydrostatic balance, a Chelsea filter, a UV torch, a loupe, a darkfield loupe and a spectroscope — step-by-step for each.
Through the refractometer
Drawn from the refractive index above, on a 1.40–1.81 scale. How to take this reading.
Key Differentiators
- Apple green to pale green color — lacks the blue tint characteristic of turquoise
- Lower SG (2.40–2.60) than turquoise (2.60–2.85)
- Lower hardness (3.5–4.5) than turquoise (5–6) — knife scratches easily
- Matrix veining brown/orange rather than the black spider-web of turquoise
- Hydrated aluminum phosphate — no copper in composition; therefore no reaction to Chelsea filter for copper
Common Simulants
- Turquoise: Turquoise has blue-green color, higher RI (1.610–1.650), higher SG (2.60–2.85), higher hardness (5–6), and contains copper — black spider-web matrix. Variscite is purer green, lighter, softer.
- Green Chrysocolla: Chrysocolla: lower SG (1.93–2.40), hardness 2–4 for the mineral (silicified chrysocolla chalcedony is harder, to ~7 — so hardness alone does not separate), vivid blue-green color from copper, resinous luster.
- Prehnite: Prehnite: translucent with fibrous texture, SG ~2.87 (heavier), RI 1.616–1.649 (higher), often shows botryoidal form.
Commonly Confused With
Commonly confused with: Turquoise.
Treatments
- Wax or Resin Impregnation
- Dyed
Measurement Guides
Identifying a variscite? Loupewise walks through these tests in order — RI, SG, fluorescence, and more.
Try Loupewise Free →Studying for the GIA, FGA, or FEEG practical? Variscite is one of the 132 species in Loupewise’s drill and exam pool — practice identifying it from its measured properties under timed exam conditions.
Practice exams →