Fun Friday The Letter V: Vesuvianite

It is Fun Friday again, at my Blogging For Fun group. We are working on an A-Z meme, and we are up to the letter V. V is for Vesuvianite. I do not own this particular rare gemstone. It is also called Idocrase. Vesuvianite is a brown, green, or blue silicate gemstone. The most sought after color is the lovely green color, as shown in the video. It got its name from the origin it was originally found, which is Mt Vesuvias. There is a blue variety called Cyprine, which was found in Franklin, NJ, and Norway. It is said to be a sky blue color. I have not actually seen this variety, but I would love to. Californite is the name given to jade like Vesuvianite found in California. It has a hardness of 6.5 on the Moh's hardness scale. So it is a gemstone that can be faceted, and worn in jewelry. Gem quality Vesuvianite is very rare, and difficult to find. You may find it in cabochon, or in carvings. Happy gemstone hunting!