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Chiastolite is a cross stone. Types and characteristics. Who suits andalusite according to the zodiac sign

Andalusite is an inexpensive jewelry and ornamental gem related to aluminum silicates. The stone got its name in honor of the Spanish region of Andalusia, where in 1798 it was first discovered by the French mineralogist J.-C. Delameterie. In the scientific literature, the mineral is also found under the names mikafillite, haudenite, hard spar, apir and stanzaite.

Andalusite is an inexpensive jewelry and ornamental gem related to aluminum silicates.

Andalusite - transparent stone with a glassy sheen and rich colors. It comes in yellow, gold, pink, red, olive, dark green, orange-brown, brown and shades of gray. Colorless andalusites are very rare. Andalusite is most commonly found in nature as prismatic crystals with a cross section. Forms granular, columnar and thick tabular aggregates. characteristic feature mineral is its ability to change its shade depending on the angle of incidence sunlight. Andalusite is characterized by a weak greenish-yellow luminescence. It has high heat resistance and melts at temperatures above 1380°C.

In addition to the listed properties, the mineral differs from other gems:

  • uneven fracture;
  • rhombic syngony;
  • imperfect cleavage;
  • high hardness.

A popular variety of andalusite is chiastolite (otherwise - a cross, a cross stone). It is an opaque mineral with the outline of a cross in cross section. An unusual pattern is formed as a result of selective absorption by the crystal faces of clay and graphite impurities located inside the host rocks.

Gallery: andalusite stone (25 photos)

















Andalusite (video)

The use and extraction of stone

For creating jewelry use transparent andalusite crystals. Due to their strength, toughness and heat resistance, they are easy to process. Faceted gems are shaped into drops, spheres or ovals, after which they are framed in various jewelry alloys, gold and silver. Usually andalusite is inserted into rings, rings, pendants and bracelets. stones irregular shape used in the creation of beads and necklaces. When moving, such crystals begin to shimmer and play in the sun with all the colors of the rainbow. Opaque chiastolite is also used to create jewelry. Minerals with a clearly distinguishable cross are used to make objects of religious worship. Low-quality rock samples unsuitable for creation jewelry, have found their application in the electrical industry as a raw material for the creation of insulating and refractory materials.

Andalusite is one of the most common minerals on the planet. Its deposits can be found on all continents. Stone deposits are located mainly in gneisses, clayey, carbonaceous-argillaceous and metamorphic shales. The most valuable specimens used in the jewelry industry are mined in Australia, Brazil, the Elbrus region and Ceylon. The largest deposit rare green andalusite is located in Myanmar.

In Russia, the mineral is mined in Kabardino-Balkaria, Transbaikalia and the Urals. In the CIS, high-quality specimens have been found in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

The extraction of andalusite, used in industrial production, conducted in Ukraine, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Canada and the USA. The active stone deposits are located in the south of the African continent and the west of Antarctica. And in Spain, where the mineral was once discovered, today it is practically not mined.

Chiastolite andalusite bracelet (video)

The history of the use of the mineral and its unusual abilities

Andalusite stone was known to mankind long before its official discovery. During the Middle Ages, its variety of chiastolite began to be popular with the Knights Templar, who were actively trading with the Moors from the Caliphate of Cordoba. It was from this territory that unusual yellowish-orange stones with a cross-shaped pattern in a cross section were brought to them. The Templars began to decorate rings and pendants with chiastolites, and also used them in their rituals. Soon, the knights of the Order of Malta and representatives of other church orders adopted the fashion for wearing a cross stone from the Templars. Chiastolite was inserted into objects of religious worship, rosaries and ritual ornaments were made from it.

Andalusite is a mineral with pronounced healing properties. In lithotherapy, it is actively used to fight diseases. respiratory system. Experts advise to wear it continuously during an exacerbation bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis. It will prevent the development inflammatory process with a normal cough, will speed up recovery from pneumonia and pleurisy.

Andalusite jewelry is useful for people suffering from nervous diseases. The gem has a beneficial effect on emotional condition a person, relieves him of anxiety and unrest, protects against stress and treats insomnia without the use of sedatives and hypnotics. Andalusite has a positive effect on the activity of the heart, normalizes the pulse, stabilizes arterial pressure, improves blood circulation, prevents the formation of blood clots. The constant wearing of products with this mineral helps prevent myocardial infarction, stroke and others. serious illnesses of cardio-vascular system.

Lithotherapists attribute to andalusite the ability to increase immunity and protect its owner from the flu and others. viral diseases transmitted by airborne droplets. To feel the effect of the mineral on yourself, it is recommended to wear it as a pendant, beads or necklace during outbreaks of epidemics.

Without exception, all andalusites have the ability to improve metabolic processes in the body, suppress food cravings and reduce weight. For this reason, experts recommend using these stones for weight loss to people who want to get rid of extra pounds. To reduce weight, they need to wear a ring or pendant with a gem.

Andalusite is known as a magic stone. Since ancient times, sorcerers and mediums have been using it to enter a state of trance, communicate with the spirits of the underworld and enhance their abilities. They are sure that the mineral gives its owner the gift of foresight and allows him to switch to new level thinking. Chiastolite enjoys special honor among magicians. This type of gem is able to give its owner courage and protect him from dangers. No wonder it was this stone that the Knights Templar took on military campaigns.

The mineral andalusite in the form of a zodiac talisman suits all signs, but it is especially favorable to Pisces, Libra and Gemini. Magic Gem helps in the comprehension of universal wisdom, necessary for a person to change the world for the better. However, for those who pursue selfish motives or want to harm others, the gem will not linger for a long time. Not wanting to help the villain, he will disappear from his life without a trace.

Andalusite is an ideal stone for people related to religion (priests, monks, theologians). He also favors those who mental labor(teachers, scientists, students) or takes part in military battles. However, the latter are not recommended to wear a gem in peacetime, as its energy can provoke excessive aggressiveness in them.

Attention, only TODAY!

A good talisman will come from a stone called andalusite, magical properties This mineral has been known since the Middle Ages. In addition to magical, the stone has a wide range medicinal properties and is actively used in lithotherapy.

A little about chiastolite

A variety of andalusite is chiastolite (crossed). It is also called the Maltese cross or cross. After grinding, a dark cross clearly appears in the cross section of the chiastolite. That is why he was very popular with Christian monks and priests.

The dark cross in chiastolite is formed as the crystals grow. Black carbonaceous matter and clay particles from the rock in which the mineral is formed are distributed along its edges. The cross is visible in cross section. After a longitudinal cut of nuggets, black stripes form. The cross is always darker than the base color of chiastolite, which is light yellow or light brown.

Chiastolite helps to rally members of the team, facilitates the entry of new people into it. A chiastolite amulet will help to reveal or keep secrets, protect from obsessive attention and unnecessary gossip.

The healing properties of andalusite

Lithotherapy considers andalusite one of the most useful minerals. With its help, you can normalize the work of the central nervous system, getting rid of:

  • various neuroses;
  • chronic insomnia;
  • consequences of stress and nervous shocks;
  • childhood phobias;
  • pessimistic moods, depressions, suicidal moods.

With the help of andalusite, diseases of the cardiovascular system can be cured, such as:

  • hypertension;
  • thrombophlebitis;
  • phlebeurysm;
  • low blood clotting;
  • myocardial infarction;
  • massive stroke.

Since andalusite strengthens the immune system, it will help to avoid infectious diseases. colds respiratory organs:

  • sore throats;
  • bronchitis;
  • inflammation of the lungs;
  • flu.

Andalusite improves memory, stimulates the brain, logical thinking, insight, intuition.

The magical properties of andalusite

In the Middle Ages, the Templars actively used andalusite during special rituals that helped to gain power and wealth. The Knights of the Order of Malta called it drops of the blood of Jesus Christ. The Albigensians used this stone to worship the Virgin Mary.

It has long been observed that this amazing stone protects warriors during battles and battles, helps alchemists, philosophers, travelers. The temple officials turned to higher powers with andalusite. Soothsayers used the stone in jewelry to realize their abilities and be able to enter the astral plane. For example, the famous oracle Nostradamus wore a large beautiful pendant with andalusite and several rings with this gem.

Andalusite helps in revealing various mysteries and intricate life situations. With it, you can find the exact answer to many questions. Illumination will surely come to the owner of this stone. In addition, andalusite will help strengthen the barely born love and bring constancy to love relationship. But it should be remembered that the stone helps only good people, alien to self-interest, envy, deceit. Frivolous handling of andalusite, its use to the detriment of someone for their own gain is unacceptable. The stone will definitely leave such an owner - it will be lost forever.

Many people who have become owners of andalusite jewelry have felt drawn to various types creative activity.

The magical properties make it possible to use this stone not only in a wide variety of rituals, but also during meditation or trance states. Andalusite, due to the peculiarities of its structure, makes it easier for its owner to achieve altered states of consciousness when practicing necromancy, prophecy, or when communicating with astral entities.

The mystical andalusite stone will help you master esoteric knowledge. With his help a common person will be able to receive and understand the signals of the Universe.

The resonant properties of the stone do not appear immediately, in order to use andalusite as a guide to the world of the dead, to enter the astral plane or to achieve the effects of foresight and clairvoyance, it is necessary to “tune” the stone to the owner through lengthy meditations. During meditation, the stone can be held in the hand, hung on the chest or applied to the forehead.

Andalusite will become a reliable guardian and talisman for its owner. He will relieve fears, strengthen mental strength will help you achieve your goals, no matter how difficult they may seem.

To do this, you need to make an amulet or talisman from andalusite by inserting a stone into a ring, pendant, earrings or diadem. As you work magical practices an amulet or a talisman with andalusite undergoes fine tuning, as if it enters into resonance with its owner, allowing you to significantly increase the efficiency of thinking, achieve maximum concentration in a trance, to get a stable result when communicating with the dead or with higher powers.

Andalusite practically does not correlate with any sign of the zodiac, in this regard, people of any zodiac binding can use it. Healers, soothsayers, clairvoyants and necromancers can most effectively use the magical properties of andalusite. The impact of the mineral on the owner is quite mild, but long-lasting. It is concentrated mainly in the amplification region. intellectual abilities, improving attention and memory, telepathic abilities.

The therapeutic properties of andalusite can be considered secondary, but healers must take them into account when working with a stone. Concentration of attention on the stone, touching it to the skin forms a small healing effect, in particular, andalusite contributes general strengthening body, stabilization of the psyche, normalizes cardiovascular system and respiratory organs.

Foreword

Andalusite is a mineral from the silicate class. It is an aluminum silicate.

Andalusite is a mineral from the silicate class. It is an aluminum silicate. The first information about the stone appeared in 1798, thanks to the French mineralogist Delameterier.

The first sample of the mineral was found in the Spanish province of Andalusia, after which it got its name.

It is a rather fragile mineral with a vitreous luster. In nature, the gem is found in the form of granular aggregates or is a prismatic columnar crystal. Very often grows to a solid size.

Synonyms for the mineral andalusite

Viridin, hard spar, stanzaite, apir, mikafillite, kuzeranite.

Chiostolite deposit

Specifications of andalusite
Chemical composition: Al2SiO5
Mixing meet impurities: Fe2O3, TiO2, Mn2O3.
Syngony: rhombic.
Color in daylight: from yellowish green to brownish red.
Color under artificial light: does not need to change the lighting to see all the colors, just twist the stone in your hand.
Shine: glass shine.
Hardness index: 7.5 on the Mohs scale.
Dash color: white.
Transparency level: medium (transparent, translucent).
Refraction value: 1,641 — 1,648.
Density indicator: 3.12 - 3.18 g/cm.
Strength: fragile.

Andalusite is a very common mineral. It has a metamorphic origin - it is formed as a result of contact and regional metamorphism. Its main place of extraction is Spain. But it is believed that the best samples are mined in Sri Lanka and Brazil. beautiful stones found in the USA (California, Massachusetts) and in Austria. In Russia, the place of stone extraction is the Southern Urals, Transbaikalia and Kabardino-Balkaria.

Chiostolite stone color

The mineral andalusite tends to change its color, depending on the angle of view, which is called pleochroism. In connection with this feature, the stone in the old days was called "alexandrite for the poor." However, the mineral andulazite has one advantage over alexandrite: it does not need to change lighting. In order to see all its colors, you just need to turn the mineral from side to side.

AT pure form the crystal is colorless, but this is rare. More often the gem is found in pink, gray, red, red-brown, yellow, brown, greenish-brown and dark green. Sometimes you can find a raspberry mineral or even purple hue- it all depends on the presence of impurities. A transparent crystal is used as a gem.

With the emerald color of the mineral, reflections are possible orange color. But more often it is found in green (rarely pink).

Having decided to capture andalusite, the stone in the photo will not be able to convey all the radiance and multi-colored reflections.

Characteristics and properties of chiostolite

It has an uneven, splintery fracture. Differs in fire resistance and does not melt under a soldering pipe. At high temperatures(over 1380°C) may decompose to form mullite. Let's not dissolve in acids.

Variety of andalusite

During growth, some andalusite crystals absorb carbonaceous-argillaceous particles from the host rocks. The particles are concentrated in the crystallographic directions so that a black cross is visible in the transverse sections of the mineral, and dark stripes are visible in the longitudinal direction against a light background, running parallel to the elongation of the crystal. This is a variety of andalusite - chiastolite. Translated from Greek, "chiastos" means crossed, and "lithos" means stone. According to other sources, the name of the stone comes from the Greek “hyasmos”, which means “crosshair”. In the common people, chiastolite is often called a cross stone, a cross, sometimes maltesite (due to its resemblance to the cross of the Order of Malta).

In nature, this mineral occurs in the form of large columnar crystals, having a prismatic shape with an obligatory black cross of inclusions on the cross section. Most often, such inclusions are clay and graphite, which got into the mineral during the growth process.

Chiastolite stone usually has red-brown color, rarely come across crystals of white, yellow, grayish and greenish shades, which were formed due to the impurity of manganese.

The hardness of the stone is the same as that of andalusite and is 7-7.5. The density is slightly less - 3.0 g / cm.

For the first time, the mineral was announced by D.G. Carsten is a German mineralogist. The gem was described in 1800.

On the territory of Russia, chiastolite can be found in the Southern Urals, in Eastern Transbaikalia. In addition, it is mined in Spain, France, Central Germany, Algeria, China and the USA.

Despite the fact that chiastolite has properties similar to those of andalusite, in jewelry business it is used less often. The crystal is opaque. Due to the unusual pattern (cross and rhombus), the mineral looks very original. It looks best in simple frames, concise jewelry. This is done so that the stone is not "lost" against the background of complex geometric patterns.

Plates are cut transversely to the mineral prism, which are processed in the form of a cabochon (a convex polished surface without edges). Thus, brooches, rings, pendants are made of stone. A mineral with a black cross on a light background is widely used by clergy for carving rosaries.

The use of the mineral andalusite

The high heat resistance of andalusite makes it possible to use it as a raw material for the manufacture of refractory materials used in the production of cement and in the metallurgical industry. The stone is often used to make various ceramic products and automotive spark plugs. Not less often, crystals are used in construction, where they are used to produce thermal insulation materials, paving stones and paving slabs.

Despite the uniqueness and brilliance, this is an inexpensive stone that is not very popular. Diamond cutters have been training on it for a long time. And interesting examples this mineral and its varieties attracted the attention of collectors.

The healing properties of Andalusite

Lithotherapists claim that andalusite and jewelry with it help to stimulate and normalize the metabolism in the body. There is evidence that the gem prevents the development of fungal diseases.

Andalusite and magical properties

The stone helps to achieve success and become a leader. In ancient times, priests used crystals to invoke the gods. The oracles have always had folds with this stone. They did this for a constant "connection" with the spirits of the dead. When the oracle fell into a trance, andalusite was placed on his forehead, the magical properties of which are used to achieve harmony. Christian monks also paid attention to the mineral. From it they carved rosaries and amulets.

Purchase

It is hard to imagine that a sparkling gem with unique external characteristics is rarely used in jewelry. It so happened, but this stone is really not popular with jewelers. Even the low price of the gem does not attract. Today a small andalusite with jewelry qualities can be bought at a price of $15-25 per carat. And this despite the fact that over the past decade the cost of a cut stone has increased 70 times! Most likely, unfair treatment to the gem is due to the lack of tradition of its use in jewelry.

Enlarged andalusite stone on video:

The English name for the mineral Andalusite is Andalusite.

The name comes from the Spanish province of Andalusia, where the mineral was first found.

Synonyms:

Mikafilit- micaphilite (Brunner, 1804), hard spar - Harthspath (Werner, 1817), stanzait- stanzaite (submitted, 1892), shizeilite- chizeulite (Lacroix, 1910).
Chiastolite- chiastolite - andalusite, with inclusions of carbonaceous or clayey substance located along certain crystallographic directions. The name is from the Greek chiastos - diagonally located (Karsten, 1800. Sinon. Cross - made, crucite- crucite (Delametrie, 1797), hollow spar-Hohlspath (Vener, 1803), maltesite- maltesite (Sederholm, 1896), maranite- maranite (Link; according to Hinze), howdenite (howdenite) - howdenite (Anderson, 1902), stealite- Stealith (Köchlin, 1911).

The chemical composition of andalusite

The theoretical chemical composition: Al 2 O 3 - 62.93, SiO 2 - 37.07. It was established by the method of paramagnetic resonance that Fe 3+ mainly replaces Al in six-coordination, and Cr 3+ replaces only Al in six-coordination; Se + replaces Si 4+ ; the role of Mn has not been elucidated.

A spectroscopic study showed that on average andalusite contains (in%): Li - 0.021, Ga - 0.0083, Zr - 0.0045, V - 0.004, Cr - 0.002, B - 0.001 and traces of Ni, Sr, Y, Pb . According to Vershkovskaya et al., its Ga content does not exceed 0.001%. The mineral contains (in%): Zn - 0.02, Zr - 0.2, Cu - 0.04, Ni - 0.02, Sr - 0.03, Nb -0.01, Y - 0.02. The Ra content of andalusite from Japan is n-10 -12 .

Varieties of andalusite

Manganandalusite- manganandalusite. Synonym - viridine - viridine, gosseletite - gosseletite (Koren, 1934). Is different high content MnO (up to 19.22%), sometimes contains more iron than ordinary andalusite (up to 6.6% Fe 2 O 3 ). It is observed in the form of short-prismatic slightly flattened crystals (up to 20-40 mm), grains, rounded, columnar and plate-like accumulations; monomineral segregations sometimes reach 150x70 mm. Color bright green, dark green (almost black). Optical (+). Grain elongation is positive. Intense pleochroism; refractive indices are higher than those of ordinary andalusite.
Occurs in Mn- and Fe-bearing argillaceous sandstones, feldspar sandstones, mixed clastic and tuffaceous sediments subjected to regional (low to medium-high degree) and contact (low degree) metamorphism, in hematite-bearing phyllites. Known in the Aldan Highlands in Yakutia, where its content in places reaches 60%; on the river Timpton is associated with biotite, feldspars, sillimanite, almandine, rutile, chlorite, apatite, graphite, hematite, magnetite, amphibole, monoclinic pyroxene, bastite, cordierite, pyrrhotite, ilmenite; on the Okurdan bald mountains it is observed in association with quartz, manganophyllite, garnet (spessartine-pyrope), hematite, magnetite, microcline, oligoclase, as well as with accessory rutile, monazite, zircon, apatite and svanbergite. Occurs in quartzite and leptite in the Ultevis region of Northern Sweden; associated minerals: microcline, plagioclase, hematite, muscovite, apatite, epidote, tourmaline, zircon, piemontite; found here in pegmatites intersecting leptites, with quartz, microcline, pyroxene, and Mn-garnet. At Vestano in Southern Sweden, manganandalusite occurs in quartzite with muscovite and accessory zircon and garnet. In Darmstadt (Germany), in contact-metamorphic schists, it is accompanied by quartz, piemontite, biotite and accessory apatite, rutile, garnet, and hematite. On Mount Kiev in pcs. New Mexico (USA) manganandalusite is abundant in quartzites containing kyanite, muscovite, hematite, less often rutile and zircon. In Salm-Château (Belgium), manganandalusite is represented by porphyroblasts in hematite-containing phyllites. Manganandalusite is replaced by muscovite, chloritoid, a mixture of chlorite with quartz and sericite with piemontite, a clayey substance.
When leaching Mn and Fe becomes colorless. Manganandalusite does not differ in interplanar distances from ordinary andalusite.

Crystals during growth can capture carbonaceous or clay material. Its concentration occurs in certain crystallographic directions, resulting in the characteristic figure of a cross; this variety is called chiastolite (Greek "chiastos" - crossed, "cast" - stone). Dark core of chiastolite from Lancaster, pcs. Massachusetts (USA) consists of muscovite, chlorite, quartz, sulfides, iron oxides and titanium.

Crystallographic characteristics of andalusite

Syngony rhombic

Symmetry class. Rhombo-bipyramidal - mmm. Axis ratio. 0.982:1:0.703.

Crystal structure

A feature of the structure is the presence of two types of Al atoms: six and five in coordination (confirmed by the method of paramagnetic resonance). The AlO 6 octahedra are arranged parallel to the c axis in the form of chains connected along the edges; the shape of the octahedrons deviates significantly from the ideal. Their chains are linked by alternating silicon-oxygen tetrahedra and Al atoms with coordination five. The projection of the structure onto a plane parallel to c shows that the and [АlO 5 ] groups are linked into a spatial network of Al 4 composition, similar to that of micas. The anionic packing of a stone is not the densest, since in its pattern at the same height there is a closed hexagonal figure of balls. In andalusite, covalent bonds predominate over ionic ones.

Main forms: The crystals are prismatic, pseudotetragonal. Sometimes there is vertical shading on the (110) and (320) faces.

Form of being in nature

Crystal Shape. Columnar with a square section, compressed, elongated prismatic.

Doubles according to (101) are rare. The inclusions consist of gas-liquid segregations, carbonaceous and clayey matter, quartz, rutile, garnet, corundum, and zircon. In the cross section of the crystals of the so-called chiastolite, the inclusions of a carbonaceous or clayey substance look like a dark cross, rhombus or chess cells, in the longitudinal section - dark stripes on white or gray