Palygorskite (pronounced PAL-ee-GORS-kyte) is a fibrous clay mineral with a variety of commercial uses. It’s rarely seen as a jewelry gemstone, but it has value as a unique collector’s stone and industrial material.
The mineral is also called attapulgite (among other names), but what is the difference between attapulgite and palygorskite? It depends on who you ask and when.
In the past, palygorskite and attapulgite were considered quite similar but with different formation methods, crystallinities, and fiber lengths.
Some still follow these definitions and even consider attapulgite a subspecies of palygorskite. However, most scientists consider them synonyms, prioritizing “palygorskite” as the correct mineralogical name.
We have plenty more monikers to cover, along with palygorskite uses, history, prices, and properties!
Pictured above: Large sheet of papery palygorskite from Washington, USA | Image credit: John Krygier, Public Domain
Palygorskite (or polygorskite) is sometimes used as a semi-precious gemstone. Though once considered a rare mineral, palygorskite is quite common.
Besides attapulgite, palygorskite’s other nicknames include:
Rock Wood
Mountain Leather (for fibrous, tangled mats)
Angel Skin Opal
These are technically misnomers, but the first two reflect the common appearances of fibrous palygorskite aggregates resembling wet newspaper. The last one refers to “angel stone,” covered more later.
Industrially, what are the uses of palygorskite?
Palygorskite has a wide range of industrial uses. Its absorbency, along with other benefits like durability, particle size, and more, have been utilized in:
Drilling fluid
Catalysts
Mortar & cement filler
Medicines (mostly anti-diarrheal and potentially topical painkillers)
Note: Medicines often use the term “attapulgite” instead.
One specific palygorskite clay use is in “fuller’s earth.” We’ll get into the history of it later, but today, fuller’s earth containing palygorskite is used in:
Woolen cloth (absorbing oils & grease and whitening)
Pet litter
Fertilizer & pesticide (carrier)
Paint, adhesive, and plaster (filler)
Cosmetics (treating facial pigmentation and cleansing hair or skin)
Clothing & equipment decontaminant for military and emergency services personnel
Marble cleaner
Film & television makeup, wardrobe, or set (to look “dirty”) and special effects (like dust in tornados and explosions)
With all that value, what is palygorskite made of?
Pictured above: Silky white palygorskite on calcareous dolostone from Virginia, USA | Image credit: John Krygier, Public domain
As a hydrous magnesium aluminum phyllosilicate (clay) mineral, palygorskite’s chemical formula is (Mg,Al)2Si4O10(OH)·4H2O. Common impurities are iron and potassium.
Sepiolite is closely related, forming a series with palygorskite. Some mineralogists classify palygorskite in the sepiolite mineral group, but palygorskite has its own group. Other members in the palygorskite mineral group include:
Tuperssuatsiaite
Windhoekite
Windmountainite
Yofortierite
Ribbon-chains of amphibole-like silicates make up palygorskite’s structure.
Externally, palygorskite can occur as bundles of elongated crystals, intergrown fibers in thin sheets, tangled fibrous mats, compact masses, or lath-shaped crystals.
Palygorskite properties listed:
Mohs hardness: 2-2.5 (pure); 4.5 (angel stone)
Color: White, gray, light pink, yellow, grayish-green
Crystal structure: Monoclinic
Luster: Dull, waxy, or earthy
Transparency: Translucent
Refractive index: 1.522-1.548 (pure); Around 1.55 (angel stone)
Density: 2.21-2.60 (pure); 2.10-2.60 (angel stone)
Cleavage: Distinct/good on {110} (pure); None (angel stone)
Fracture: Uneven/irregular
Streak: White
Luminescence: None
Pleochroism: Present in colored specimens - pale yellow to pale yellow-green
Birefringence: 0.011-0.020
Dispersion: Unknown
What’s “angel stone” in the list? One of palygorskite’s varieties!
Pictured above: Pre-1850 “pilolite” variety of palygorskite, also called “mountain leather” | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Palygorskite has some varieties based on impurities or dominant elements:
Mg Palygorskite: Magnesium-bearing; Most common
Mn Palygorskite: Manganese-bearing
Mn Ferro-palygorskite: Manganese and ferrous iron-bearing
Pilolite: Historical term for (mostly) iron-bearing palygorskite, formerly called “vegetable asbestos”
There are also trade names for palygorskite mixed with other minerals, notably “angel stone.”
“Angel stone” refers to an opaque, microcrystalline palygorskite impregnated with amorphous (non-crystalline) silica. It’s often pale pink but can be gray or yellow.
The silica makes palygorskite more suitable for gemstone use. Another moniker is “angel skin opal,” but this is a misnomer.
However, palygorskite is found in many pink common opals as an inclusion that gives them their pink coloring.
Pictured above: Pink opal colored by palygorskite
The first official discovery of palygorskite occurred in the Second Mine, located in the Palygorsk Range of Russia. Russian scholar T. von Ssaftschenkow (or Savchenkov, translations differ) published his discovery in 1862.
In 1913, Soviet-Russian geochemist and mineralogist Alexander Evgenyevich Fersman named the mineral after the Russian location.
In 1935, French lithologist Jacques de Lapparent also found palygorskite in Mormoiron, France, and the Attapulgus area of Georgia, USA. He named it “attapulgite” after the latter location.
However, palygorskite uses go centuries back.
Pictured above: 7th to 8th century Mayan costumed figure with Maya blue pigment | Image credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain
Ancient Mayans and Aztecs used palygorskite most prominently to make “Maya blue” pigment. The pigment is incredibly durable, withstanding weathering and chemical agents for thousands of years.
This vibrant azure blue pigment, first known around 500-800 AD, was mostly a combination of palygorskite and indigo from añil leaves.
Pre-Columbian maya blue uses include:
Artwork (paintings, sculptures, murals)
Textiles
Codices
Painting bodies & sites of human sacrifices
In the 1500s, colonial churches and convents used maya blue in their frescos, often in Arte Indocristiano (“Indochristian art”) style pieces. Cuban Maya blue uses continued until the 1830s.
Scientists rediscovered the pigment in 1931. They determined the composition in the 1950s. In 1993, Mexican historian and chemist Constantino Reyes-Valerio published a recipe to reproduce it, leading to his collaboration with European scientists to create similar pigments like “Maya Violet.”
Pictured above: 18th century engraving of Scotswomen fulling cloth and singing | Image credit: www.marariley.net/celtic/scotland.htm, Public domain
“Fulling” is a wool preparation step involving cleansing and shrinking woolen cloth so it’s smooth, finished, and water-repellent. This practice dates back to ancient times and still exists today.
Historically, fullers used water and types of clays called “fuller’s earth” to absorb lanolin (wax), grease, and oils in the cloth. These clays were usually made of bentonite or palygorskite. They also functioned as whitening and filtering agents.
Since then, fuller’s earth uses expanded, highlighted in the Palygorskite Uses section earlier.
As a popularly pink healing stone, palygorskite shares the properties of with other pink gemstones like boosting self-love and acceptance.
Unlike the spiritual healing properties of many stones, palygorskite has many scientifically backed studies to back its healing properties like:
Antibacterial agent
Adsorbent of toxins, viruses, and bacteria in the intestine
Poison treatment
Anti-diarrheal
Skin wound healing
Emotionally, palygorskite is said to have soothing, calming, and nurturing properties. The crystal may help you accept yourself and others, facilitating all forms of love and compassion.
Chakra healing involves opening an energy center (chakra) that’s blocked. Palygorskite is a heart chakra stone.
The heart chakra is located at the heart (shocker, right?). It governs matters of love, spirituality, and acceptance. When it’s blocked, feelings of apathy, low self-worth, and isolation arise.
Using palygorskite, you can open your heart chakra, which harmonizes the spirit, body, and mind while helping you open your heart to love, treating others compassionately, and accepting the ups and downs of life.
Pictured above: Fibrous white palygorskite and pale yellow calcite crystals on a dark matrix | Image credit: John Krygier, Public domain
Most palygorskite gemstones are “angel stone” varieties and lack standard grading. We’ll still cover how the standard value factors apply to palygorskite:
Color: Colored palygorskites (pink, yellow, green) may carry higher value than non-pleochroic, less desirable white types.
Cut: Palygorskite and “angel stone” can be cut into carvings, beads, or cabochons.
Size: Larger sized gemstones and intact specimens can be more valuable.
Now, how is palygorskite formed?
Palygorskite primarily forms when magnesium silicate or aluminosilicate minerals undergo alteration. It forms in clay soils, hydrothermal veins, granites, carbonate rocks, and serpentines. Rarely, it’s found in marine sediments.
Common associated minerals are:
Chlorite
Opal
Montmorillonite
Chalcophanite
Now, geographically, where can I find palygorskite?
The mineral is spread out worldwide, but “angel stone” is primarily from Mexico and Peru.
Other notable sources of palygorskite are:
USA (Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Washington)
England
France
Morocco
Russia
Scotland
Industrially useful deposits are mostly in:
Brazil
China
India
Russia
Senegal
Spain
USA
Pictured above: Rows of colorless calcite crystals held together by layers of papery palygorskite | Image credit: John Krygier, Public domain
Palygorskite clay for sale is pretty cheap, at around $12 to $50 per pound.
Most palygorskite gemstones are angel stones or pink opals. Pink angel stone rough specimens range from around $40 to $900, most falling under $100.
Palygorskite rough ranges from $15 to $45 or $100 to $630 or higher if it’s attached to calcite.
At our Opal Auctions site, pink opal prices are around:
Faceted: $60 to $100 per carat
Cabochons: $1 per carat
Rough: $0.10 to $0.20 per carat
You can also find pink opal palygorskite beads for around under $1 per carat.
Lastly is gemstone care. Palygorskite is quite soft, so be cautious to avoid scratches and use protective settings on jewelry.
You can clean it with a soft microfiber cloth.
Store it separately from other gems away from any moisture.
It has a funky name, but this gem is useful in so many ways, including beautiful pink opals and “angel stones” as a bright companion!
坡缕石(发音为 PAL-ee-GORS-kyte)是一种具有多种商业用途的纤维状粘土矿物。它很少被视为珠宝宝石,但作为独特的收藏石和工业材料具有价值。
这种矿物也被称为凹凸棒石(以及其他名称),但凹凸棒石和凹凸棒石之间有什么区别?这取决于你问谁以及什么时候。
过去,凹凸棒石和凹凸棒石被认为非常相似,但具有不同的形成方法、结晶度和纤维长度。
有些人仍然遵循这些定义,甚至认为凹凸棒石是凹凸棒石的亚种。然而,大多数科学家认为它们是同义词,优先考虑“坡缕石”作为正确的矿物学名称。
我们还有很多绰号要介绍,以及坡缕石的用途、历史、价格和特性!
坡缕石(或坡缕石)有时被用作半宝石。尽管凹凸棒石曾经被认为是一种稀有矿物,但它却相当常见。
除了凹凸棒石之外,凹凸棒石的其他昵称包括:
岩木
山地皮革(用于纤维状、缠结的垫子)
天使皮肤蛋白石
这些在技术上是用词不当,但前两个反映了纤维状凹凸棒石聚集体类似于湿报纸的常见外观。最后一个指的是“天使石”,稍后会详细介绍。
在工业上,凹凸棒石有哪些用途?
凹凸棒石具有广泛的工业用途。它的吸收性以及耐用性、粒径等其他优点已被用于:
钻井液
催化剂
砂浆和水泥填料
药物(主要是止泻药和可能的局部止痛药)
注意:药物经常使用术语“凹凸棒石”来代替。
凹凸棒石粘土的一种具体用途是“漂白土”。我们稍后会介绍它的历史,但今天,含有凹凸棒石的漂白土用于:
呢绒(吸油、油脂、美白)
宠物垃圾
化肥农药(载体)
油漆、粘合剂和石膏(填料)
化妆品(治疗面部色素沉着和清洁头发或皮肤)
军事和紧急服务人员的服装和设备去污
大理石清洁剂
电影和电视化妆、服装或布景(看起来“脏”)和特效(如龙卷风和爆炸中的灰尘)
具有如此高的价值,凹凸棒石是由什么制成的?
坡缕石是一种水合镁铝页硅酸盐(粘土)矿物,化学式为(Mg,Al)2Si4O10(OH)·4H2O。常见的杂质是铁和钾。
海泡石关系密切,与坡缕石构成一个系列。一些矿物学家将坡缕石归入海泡石矿物组,但坡缕石有其自己的组。坡缕石矿物组的其他成员包括:
杜百草石
温得和凯特
风山石
乳橄榄石
角闪石状硅酸盐的带状链构成了坡缕石的结构。
从外部来看,凹凸棒石可以呈细长晶体束、薄片状共生纤维、缠结的纤维垫、致密团块或板条状晶体的形式存在。
列出坡缕石属性:
莫氏硬度:2-2.5(纯); 4.5(天使石)
颜色:白色、灰色、浅粉色、黄色、灰绿色
晶体结构: 单斜晶系
光泽:暗淡、蜡状或土色
透明度: 半透明
折射率:1.522-1.548(纯); 1.55左右(天使石)
密度:2.21-2.60(纯); 2.10-2.60(天使石)
乳沟:{110} 上明显/良好(纯);无(天使石)
断裂:不均匀/不规则
条纹:白色
发光: 无
多色性:存在于有色标本中 - 浅黄色至浅黄绿色
双折射率:0.011-0.020
分散度:未知
列表中的“天使石”是什么?坡缕石的品种之一!
坡缕石根据杂质或主要元素有一些品种:
镁坡缕石:含镁;最常见的
锰坡缕石:含锰
锰坡缕石:含锰和亚铁
Pilolite:(主要)含铁坡缕石的历史术语,以前称为“植物石棉”
与其他矿物混合的坡缕石也有商品名,特别是“天使石”。
“天使石”是指浸渍有无定形(非结晶)二氧化硅的不透明微晶坡缕石。它通常是淡粉色,但也可以是灰色或黄色。
二氧化硅使凹凸棒石更适合宝石用途。另一个绰号是“天使皮蛋白石”,但这是用词不当。
然而,坡缕石存在于许多粉红色普通蛋白石中,作为内含物赋予它们粉红色。
坡缕石的首次正式发现发生在位于俄罗斯帕利戈尔斯克山脉的第二矿。俄罗斯学者 T. von Ssaftschenkow(或 Savchenkov,译文不同)于 1862 年发表了他的发现。
1913 年,苏俄地球化学家和矿物学家亚历山大·叶夫根尼耶维奇·费斯曼 (Alexander Evgenyevich Fersman) 以俄罗斯所在地命名该矿物。
1935年,法国岩学家Jacques de Lapparent也在法国莫尔穆瓦龙和美国乔治亚州阿塔普尔格斯地区发现了坡缕石。他根据后一个地点将其命名为“凹凸棒石”。
然而,凹凸棒石的使用可以追溯到几个世纪前。
古代玛雅人和阿兹特克人主要使用坡缕石来制造“玛雅蓝”颜料。这种颜料非常耐用,可以承受数千年的风化和化学试剂。
这种充满活力的天蓝色颜料于公元 500-800 年左右首次为人所知,主要是坡缕石和来自 añil 叶子的靛蓝的组合。
前哥伦布时代玛雅蓝的用途包括:
艺术品(绘画、雕塑、壁画)
纺织品
抄本
绘画人体和活人祭祀场所
1500 年代,殖民地教堂和修道院在壁画中使用玛雅蓝,通常出现在 Arte Indocristiano(“印度基督教艺术”)风格的作品中。古巴玛雅蓝色的使用一直持续到 1830 年代。
科学家于 1931 年重新发现了这种颜料。他们在 20 世纪 50 年代确定了其成分。 1993 年,墨西哥历史学家和化学家康斯坦丁诺·雷耶斯-瓦莱里奥 (Constantino Reyes-Valerio) 发表了复制该颜料的配方,促使他与欧洲科学家合作创造了类似的颜料,如“玛雅紫罗兰”。
“缩绒”是羊毛准备步骤,包括清洁和收缩羊毛布料,使其光滑、整理且防水。这种做法可以追溯到古代,并且至今仍然存在。
历史上,漂白者使用水和称为“漂白土”的粘土来吸收布料中的羊毛脂(蜡)、油脂和油。这些粘土通常由膨润土或坡缕石制成,它们还起到增白剂和过滤剂的作用。
从那时起,漂白土的用途不断扩大,这在前面的坡缕石用途部分中得到了强调。
作为一种流行的粉红色治疗石,坡缕石与其他粉红色宝石具有相同的特性,例如增强自爱和接受度。
与许多石头的精神治疗特性不同,坡缕石有许多科学支持的研究来支持其治疗特性,例如:
抗菌剂
吸附肠道内的毒素、病毒、细菌
中毒治疗
止泻
皮肤伤口愈合
在情感上,凹凸棒石据说具有舒缓、镇静和滋养的特性。水晶可以帮助您接受自己和他人,促进各种形式的爱和同情心。
脉轮治疗涉及打开被阻塞的能量中心(脉轮)。坡缕石是一种心轮石。
心轮位于心脏(令人震惊,对吧?)。它掌管爱、灵性和接受的问题。当它被阻塞时,冷漠、自我价值低下和孤立的感觉就会出现。
使用坡缕石,您可以打开您的心轮,它可以协调精神、身体和思想,同时帮助您敞开心扉去爱,富有同情心地对待他人,并接受生活的酸甜苦辣。
大多数凹凸棒石宝石都是“天使石”品种,缺乏标准分级。我们仍将介绍标准值因子如何应用于坡缕石:
颜色:彩色坡缕石(粉色、黄色、绿色)可能比非多色性、不太理想的白色类型具有更高的价值。
切割:坡缕石和“天使石”可以切割成雕刻品、珠子或凸圆面。
尺寸:较大尺寸的宝石和完整的标本可能更有价值。
那么,坡缕石是如何形成的呢?
坡缕石主要在硅酸镁或硅铝酸盐矿物发生蚀变时形成。它形成于粘土、热液脉、花岗岩、碳酸盐岩和蛇纹岩中。很少在海洋沉积物中发现它。
常见的伴生矿物有:
方解石
白云石
斧石-(Fe)
拟铁矿
滑石
绿泥石
石英
玉髓
蛋白石
蒙脱石
黄铜矿
绿帘石
正长石
现在,从地理上来说,我在哪里可以找到坡缕石?
这种矿物遍布世界各地,但“天使石”主要来自墨西哥和秘鲁。
坡缕石的其他著名来源有:
美国(佛罗里达州、佐治亚州、弗吉尼亚州、华盛顿州)
英国
法国
摩洛哥
俄罗斯
苏格兰
工业用矿床主要分布在:
巴西
中国
印度
俄罗斯
塞内加尔
西班牙
美国
出售的坡缕石粘土相当便宜,每磅约 12 至 50 美元。
大多数坡缕石宝石是天使石或粉红蛋白石。粉红色天使石原石标本价格从 40 美元到 900 美元左右,大多数低于 100 美元。
坡缕石原石的价格为 15 至 45 美元,或者 100 至 630 美元,如果附有方解石,则价格更高。
在我们的蛋白石拍卖网站,粉红蛋白石价格约为:
刻面:每克拉 60 至 100 美元
凸圆形宝石:每克拉 1 美元
原石:每克拉 0.10 美元至 0.20 美元
您还可以找到每克拉不到 1 美元的粉红蛋白石坡缕石珠。
最后是宝石护理。凹凸棒石非常柔软,因此请小心避免划伤并在珠宝上使用保护装置。
您可以用柔软的超细纤维布清洁它。
将其与其他宝石分开存放,避免受潮。
它有一个时髦的名字,但这种宝石有很多用途,包括美丽的粉红色蛋白石和“天使石”作为明亮的伴侣!
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