Phenacite is a rare, very hard, usually colorless beryllium mineral, mostly sold to collectors. It looks like quartz or diamond, and its name means 'deceiver'. We do not carry it.
Silicate (beryllium silicate)
Phenacite
Fenaquita
- Palette
- Clear White Yellow Pink Brown
- Mined in
- Sri Lanka, Russia, United States, South Africa, Norway, France, Brazil, Madagascar, Namibia, Myanmar
- Hardness
- Mohs 7.5–8.0 ?
- See-through
- transparent
- Known since
- 1833
- Named for
- Greek phenax, meaning deceiver, for its look-alike to quartz
- Also sold as
- phenakite
- Intention
- Calm
- Looking for
- Focus and clarity
- Water
- Fine with water and mild soap
- Dye or finish
- We found no bead seller or reference that states what is done to phenacite; it is mostly a faceted collector gem.
Not in our pieces now
616.9 CARATS
A phenakite found in Sri Lanka on November 18, 2021 weighs 616.9 carats.
7.5-8
Phenakite scores 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, harder than the quartz it is so often mistaken for.
NORDENSKIÖLD
Finnish mineralogist Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld (1792-1866), who named phenakite, also proposed the name demantoid for green garnet in 1854.
What it is
A rare, glassy beryllium mineral, usually colorless and clear, sometimes pale yellow, pink or brown. It looks a lot like quartz or even diamond when cut. A natural mineral, not glass or dye, and mostly a collector's gem.
What gives it its color
Phenakite is naturally colorless; the yellow-brown seen in some Ural crystals comes from phosphorus replacing silicon in the crystal, and that color fades in strong heat or ultraviolet light. Radiation can also turn colorless crystals yellow-brown.
Where it comes from
Phenakite was first found near Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains of Russia; other sources include Mogok in Myanmar, Kragero in Norway, Madagascar, Namibia, Minas Gerais in Brazil and Mount Antero in Colorado.
In history
Phenakite was named in 1833 by Nils Gustaf Nordenskiold from crystals found at the emerald and chrysoberyl mine on the Takovaya stream near Yekaterinburg in Russia's Urals. Its name is Greek for deceiver, because colorless crystals were mistaken for quartz.
What's said about it
It has little older lore of its own. Some shops pair clear stones like this one with a calm, clear head, but we found no tradition behind it, so take that as a loose habit rather than a lore.
It is hard enough for everyday wear in a ring or pendant. People who keep one usually keep it as a collector's stone.
How people wear or keep it: In a pocket, on a shelf, or as a pendant.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, phenacite 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: in a pocket, on a shelf, as a pendant. People reach for it when they want 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
Also calledphenakite
Care
- Very hard (Mohs 7.5 to 8), so it is tough in everyday wear and scratches most other stones. Store it apart from softer pieces.
- Wash with lukewarm water, mild soap and a soft brush, then dry.
- Keep it away from sudden heat or hard impacts.
- Because it is so like quartz and diamond, buy only with a lab or dealer ID.
How to tell what you have
- Phenacite is a rare, glassy beryllium mineral, usually clear and colorless, hardness 7.5 to 8. It is often mistaken for quartz and cut stones can look like diamond.
- Clear beads sold as phenacite are far more often quartz or glass; a harder scratch and a higher shine (brighter than quartz) fit phenacite, so ask for a lab report on any real claim.
Questions people ask at our table
What is phenacite?
A rare beryllium silicate, mostly colorless and very hard. Its name means 'deceiver' because it looks like quartz.
How can it be told from quartz or diamond?
It is denser than quartz and harder (7.5 to 8 against 7), and it is birefringent, which diamond is not. A lab test is the safe check.
Is it the same as a Herkimer diamond?
No. Herkimer diamonds are clear quartz crystals. Phenacite crystals have sometimes been mistaken for them.
Where is it found?
Sri Lanka, Russia, Colorado, Brazil and Madagascar among others, always in small amounts.
Do you carry phenacite?
No. The nearest clear stones we carry are clear quartz and moonstone.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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