Synthetic (Man-made Glass)
Blue Goldstone
Aventurine Glass (Silicon Dioxide infused with Cobalt/Copper)
Hardness: 5.5-6.0 on Mohs scale; Color: Deep midnight blue with sparkly metallic inclusions; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Amorphous (non-crystalline); Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture; Specific gravity: ~2.5-2.8
- Hardness
- 5
- Color
- Deep midnight blue with sparkly metallic inclusions
- Luster
- Vitreous (glassy)
Identified More synthetic (man-made glass) →
Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 5.5-6.0 on Mohs scale; Color: Deep midnight blue with sparkly metallic inclusions; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Amorphous (non-crystalline); Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture; Specific gravity: ~2.5-2.8
Formation & geological history
Created in a laboratory or industrial setting through a process of melting silica, borax, and copper/cobalt salts under a low-oxygen reducing atmosphere. Based on a historical 17th-century Venetian technique.
Uses & applications
Predominantly used for jewelry, lapidary work (tumbled stones, beads, cabochons), and as a decorative stone in metaphysical and collection markets.
Geological facts
Despite its name, it contains no gold. The sparkles are tiny octahedrons of metallic copper that precipitate out as the glass cools. The blue variety specifically uses cobalt to tint the glass base, while classic goldstone is reddish-brown.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its 'aventurescence' (the shimmering metallic sparkle) within a glassy, dark translucent matrix. It will never be found in a natural geological outcrop; it is always a product of human manufacturing. It is frequent in metaphysical shops.
More like this
Other synthetic (man-made glass) specimens
Opalite (Man-made Glass)
Synthetic Silicon Dioxide Glass (SiO2 + metal oxides)
Synthetic Mineral Simulant / Glass
Opalite
Synthetic Opalised Glass
Mineral (Synthetic / Man-made)
Opalite (Synthetic Moonstone/Sea Opal)
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) glass with metallic inclusions
Synthetic/Man-made Glass
Blue Goldstone
Auraventurine (Synthetic glass with cobalt and copper inclusions)
Synthetic (Man-made Glass)
Goldstone (Brown/Gold variety)
Aventurine Glass (SiO2 with Copper inclusions)
Synthetic/Man-made glass (often mistaken for a mineral)
Goldstone
Aventurine Glass (Man-made)
mineral