Wondrous wavellite- the springiest mineral of all!
Wavellite, in all its green spherical glory conjures spring vibes. Crystals the color of green grass evoke sprouting seeds and represent faith, new beginnings & blessings of abundance from our planet.
Wavellite's whimsical shapes and radial color patterns also remind us to have more fun in life!
This secondary mineral grows all over the faces of other rocks like a like a lichen carpet covers fallen trees and rocks on the forest floor.
Want to learn more about the properties of wavellite, where it's from, how it forms and how you can use it in your life to support abundance, hope and increase your fun factor? Here's what you need to know about this glistening green mineral.
Wavellite Properties
Color
Wavellite's known for being green- and its shades range from pale yellow- to sage green- to lime green- to a deep turquoise. Wavellite also occurrs as white, light gray and even light brown.
Why is wavellite green?
A 1966 study compared (notoriously green) Arkansas wavellites to white wavellites from Pennsylvania. All the green Arkansas samples had significant traces of vanadium. Vanadium's not a main component of wavellite (more on composition below) but the ~1% of vanadium within the crystal is what imparts the happy green hue.
Shape of wavellite crystals
Tiny radiating fibers grow together to form sphere-shaped crystals. These globular crystals often clump together in aggregates- like clusters of soap bubbles on the surface of the water in a bubble bath. Only instead of a smooth outer surfaces like on soap bubbles, the outsides of wavellite crystal spheres glint and glimmer.
If you're looking at a flat section from the inside of a wavellite crystal sphere, you can sometimes see concentric rings of varying shades of green, sparkly fibers radiating from a central nucleus. Kinda looks like a juicy lime sliced in half. (And speaking of limey, wavellite was first described and designated as a mineral by an English man. More on that below.)
Hardness
Wavellite crystals are somewhat delicate (like newly sprouted seeds). With a hardness of 3.5 - 4, wavellite's about the same hardness as fluorite. (Fluorite's a 4)
On the moh's hardness scale, diamond is the hardest mineral at 10 and talc (yes, the stuff talcum powder's made of) is the softest at a 1. Quartz is on the harder end at 7.
Wavellite’s too fragile to carry around with you
So if you put wavellite (or fluorite for that matter) in a bag with a quartz crystal and carry it around in your purse all day, the wavellite (or fluorite) will likely be scratched to shit at the end of the day (assuming you actually went anywhere).
So, no. If you carry stones in your pocket or purse, don't carry wavellite (It’s a bit fragile).
However, wavellite's a lovely mineral for your home. On a shelf? Yes! On a counter? (Like maybe in your kitchen so you can remember to eat green vegetables or stay excited about your new healthy eating plan? ) Heck yes! On your desk at work for some green vibes of abundance? Abso-frikkin-lutely! In your purse? Just. no.
What's wavellite made out of?
It's an aluminum phosphate- Al3(PO4)2(OH,F)3-5H2O. A cousin to turquoise, both of these greenish minerals are in the phosphate family.
How's wavellite formed?
Wavellite forms as a secondary mineral. (That just means it didn't crystallize out of a cooling body of magma. It came later.) It’s usually found encrusting surfaces of other rocks.
With lots of pressure- rocks crack and break below the surface of the Earth, and they can form fracture networks. But instead of air, hot fluids (mostly water) circulate through these fracture systems.
Known as hydrothemal fluids, the hot water solution dissolves phosphates (and other compounds, elements & metals) out of the host rock. The hydrothermal fluids then deposit secondary minerals on faces of the host rock when they become supersaturated or slightly cooled.
In the case of wavellite, an aluminum phosphate with super-fun, green radiating crystal patterns gets deposited.
How'd Arkansas wavellite form?
In Arkansas the wavellites crust over sedimentary rocks that formed an ancient ocean. Phosphates get into marine sedimentary rocks where deep, cold, nutrient-rich ocean water suddenly shallow along a coast- like the Pacific coast of North America today. Phosphate readily comes out of seawater in these settings and ends up in the rock.
Long after these marine rocks formed they were subject to huge tectonic forces. The rocks then cracked and broke.
Hot water circulated around fractures in a hydrothermal system- and boom! Wavellite spheres grew all over the cracked marine sedimentary rocks.
How did the Arkansas wavellite get to Truth Minerals?
After many more years of tectonic uplift combined with erosion, the wavellite encrusted rocks were finally near the surface of the Earth. So let's fast forward to the 2000's... James Zigras (a mineral collector since childhood) at some point in his crystal journey- became obsessed with wavellite.
So he started a mining company in Arkansas (Avant Mining)- focused on wavellite and quartz mining, built it from the ground up, hired the best of the best, and continues to grow his mining operations today.
A well-paid human picked every rock off by hand, brought it to the warehouse at Avant Mining.
Then I went and carefully selected each piece by hand. Some of the (wavellite encrusted) marine sedimentary rocks are stable, hard and robust. While some of the (wavellite encrusted) marine sedimentary rocks crumble like cookies.
I picked only the wavellite-bearning rocks that are hard and stable. Not flaky. Or crumbly. Just sturdy. Only the best for my mineral-loving customers...
Where's wavellite found?
Lots of places, really. Mostly in small amounts. Wavellite's famously from central Arkansas. It's also been studied and described from Central Florida, Arizona, Virginia, Pennsylvania and California just to name a few states.
Obviously it’s found in lots of other localities around the world. Wavellite was first found, described and named as a mineral in England. And, as discussed in the "how it formed" section- its usually found in hydrothermal veins.
How to use wavellite in your life
Starting something new doesn't have to be hard. It can be effortless- like a sprouting seed. It can be fun- like the bubbly crystal shapes of wavellite.
I invite you to place wavellite somewhere in your home where you could use more fun and joy. Particularly if you're adopting a new practice. Here's a couple examples of how you can stay grounded with wavellite.
Wavellite in your kitchen
If you're starting a new eating regime- keep wavellite in your kitchen and remember to keep it green AND keep it fun! Like the faith in a sprouting seed- remember to keep the faith in yourself! You can do this! And know there's also a greater force within and behind you. Have faith in the Truth of your natural health and beauty. And have fun making and eating healthy meals!
Wavellite in your office
If you're taking on a new project, practice, or working with a new idea in your career or job- keep a wavellite encrusted rock in your work space. Give those gorgeous eyes of yours a much needed break from a flat screen and take a moment to breathe in the fresh fun sparkles and colors of wavellite.
Wavellite's green shades are like green paper money. So every time you take in the fresh green sparkle, remember your abundance. You're a child of God- know that abundance flows through you.
Harness fresh fun spring energy with whimsical wavellite. Celebrate new beginnings. Have fun and faith in the process. And know your divine abundance.
Want a piece of wavellite for yourself? Shop the collection now.
References
Foster, Margaret D.; Schaller, Waldemar T., Cause of colors in wavellite from Dug Hill Arkansas, American Mineralogist, April 1966, no. 51 volume 3-4, p. 422-428.
Bergendahl, M. H., Wavellite spherulites in the Bone Valley formation in central Florida, American Mineralogist, June 1955, no. 40 volume 5-6, p. 497-504.
Artz, Lena C.; Occurrence of Wavellite, Giles County, Virginia, American Mineralogist, October 1938, no. 23 volume 10, p. 664-665.