Wavellite is a real mineral, but it is soft and splits easily, so you mostly see it as a collector's piece or a cabochon. We do not carry it.
Phosphate
Wavellite
Wavelita
- Palette
- Green Yellow White
- Mined in
- United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia
- Hardness
- Mohs 3.5–4.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- 1805
- Named for
- Dr. William Wavell, a Devon physician and naturalist
- Intention
- Abundance
- Looking for
- Prosperity
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- No bead-trade disclosure was found, so what is done to the stone is not established.
Not in our pieces now
WILLIAM WAVELL
Wavellite is named for William Wavell (1750-1829), a Devon physician and naturalist, not a mineralogist.
PINWHEEL
When a wavellite globule in limestone or chert is split open, its radiating crystals throw a sparkling pinwheel of light.
SWELLS, NOT MELTS
Heated, wavellite swells and splits instead of melting.
What it is
Wavellite is a real mineral that grows as tiny needles fanning out from a center, so a broken or cut piece shows green, yellow-green or white half-circles and stars. It is soft and splits easily, so it is mostly a collector's mineral, and cut pieces are usually cabochons rather than beads.
Where it comes from
Wavellite is best known from Arkansas (the Mount Ida area), and from Devon in England, Llallagua in Bolivia, Thuringia in Germany and Ireland.
What's said about it
Crystal lore has little to say about wavellite itself. Because it is green, people tend to keep it with other green stones, which are traditionally linked with growth and prosperity.
It is named for Dr. William Wavell, a Devon doctor and naturalist. Wear it as a pendant or earrings and store it away from harder stones.
How people wear or keep it: As a pendant, on a shelf with other green stones, or in earrings.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, wavellite is paired with the heart chakra, 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: as a pendant, on a shelf with other green stones, in earrings. People reach for it when they want prosperity, 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.
ChakraHeart
ZodiacAquarius
ElementEarth
Care
- At about Mohs 3.5 to 4 it scratches easily. Keep it apart from harder stones and out of a pocket with keys or coins.
- It has a perfect cleavage, so a hard knock can split it. It suits a pendant or earrings better than a ring.
- Clean with a soft brush, mild soap and warm water, then dry it. Skip ultrasonic cleaners and long soaks.
- Keep it away from heat. The mineral is known to swell and split when heated.
How to tell what you have
- Wavellite forms green radiating, round clusters, is soft (Mohs 3.5 to 4), and has a glassy to pearly shine.
- Because it is soft and often sold as cabochons, a piece sold under this name may be a different green stone or dyed; look for the radiating pattern.
Questions people ask at our table
What is wavellite?
It is a natural aluminum phosphate mineral that grows as radiating needles, forming green, yellow or white balls and fans. It is not a quartz, a jade or a glass.
Can it be worn every day?
It is soft and splits easily, so it is better as a pendant or earrings than as a ring or a bracelet bead. Wear it with care and take it off for heavy work.
Where does it come from?
The best-known source is the Mount Ida area of Arkansas. It was first described from Devon, England, and is also found in Bolivia, Germany, the Czech Republic, Australia and other countries.
How is it different from prehnite or variscite?
Wavellite is recognized by its radiating needle pattern, which shows as small stars or half-circles on a cut face. Prehnite and variscite are other pale green stones, so look at the pattern and ask the seller what a piece is.
Do you carry it?
We do not. If you like the green, our green aventurine and tree agate are the closest stones we carry.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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