Apophyllite is a real mineral, but it grows as brittle clusters and is almost never made into beads. We do not carry it.
Phyllosilicate (apophyllite group)
Apophyllite
Apofilita
- Palette
- Clear White Green
- Mined in
- India, Germany, Canada, Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Brazil, Japan, United States
- Hardness
- Mohs 4.5–5.0 ?
- See-through
- transparent
- Known since
- 1978
- Named for
- Greek apophyllizo, 'it flakes off'
- Also sold as
- Green apophyllite, Fish-eye stone
- Intention
- Calm Abundance
- Looking for
- Rest and meditation Prosperity Focus and clarity
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Apophyllite is mostly sold as natural crystal clusters and is rarely cut into beads. We found no bead-trade statement about dye or heat, so ask the seller about a specific piece.
Not in our pieces now
8 WATERS
Each unit of apophyllite's formula locks in eight water molecules, which is why heating makes the crystal flake apart.
500,000 KM²
India's Deccan Traps, a major apophyllite source, still cover about 500,000 square kilometers and once spread over roughly three times that.
2019
A cesium-bearing apophyllite, fluorapophyllite-(Cs), was described in 2019 from the Darai-Pioz massif in northern Tajikistan.
What it is
A real mineral that grows as glassy, pearly-faced crystal clusters, clear to white or pale green, often with pyramid-shaped tips. It is a collector's cluster mineral, soft and brittle with perfect cleavage, and is only rarely cut into beads.
Where it comes from
Most apophyllite on the market comes from the Deccan Traps of India (Pune, Jalgaon, Nasik, Mumbai); pink crystals come from St. Andreasberg in Germany's Harz Mountains, and more from South Africa's Kalahari manganese fields and New Jersey.
What's said about it
In crystal lore, people keep it for meditation. A piece on an altar or at the center of a crystal grid is a common way to use it.
A green cluster is traditionally associated with abundance. Some people put a small one by a houseplant or in a place of prominence at home.
It is soft and flakes when heated, so it sits on a shelf, not on a wrist.
How people wear or keep it: On a shelf, on an altar, in a meditation space, or at the center of a crystal grid.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, apophyllite is paired with the third eye and crown chakras, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: on a shelf, on an altar, in a meditation space. People reach for it when they want rest and meditation, prosperity, focus and clarity, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraThird Eye, Crown
ZodiacGemini, Libra
ElementEarth
Also calledGreen apophyllite, Fish-eye stone
Care
- Soft and brittle with perfect cleavage: it can flake or split from a knock.
- Dust with a soft brush; do not soak it, and no ultrasonic cleaner.
- It loses water and flakes apart when heated, so keep it away from heat and hot sun.
- Keep clusters on a shelf or in a box, away from harder stones.
How to tell what you have
- Real apophyllite is a soft, glassy to pearly crystal (about 4.5 to 5 on the Mohs scale) that splits easily along one flat plane.
- Clear glassy pieces can be mistaken for quartz, which is much harder and has no flat splitting plane; heat or rubbing makes apophyllite flake apart.
Questions people ask at our table
What is apophyllite?
A calcium potassium silicate mineral that forms in cavities in basalt and other volcanic rock. Its crystals are glassy with a pearly shine on some faces.
Why isn't it sold as beads?
It is soft, at about 4.5 to 5 on the Mohs scale, and splits easily along its cleavage. That makes it better as a cluster or specimen than as a bracelet bead.
Where does it come from?
Jalgaon in India is a well-known source. It is also found in Germany, Canada, Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Brazil, Japan and the United States.
Can I put it in water or sun?
No. It holds water in its structure and flakes when heated, so keep it dry and out of hot sun.
What do we carry instead?
For a clear stone, clear quartz is far harder and made for wearing. Howlite gives a soft white look.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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