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Gaspeite
Gaspeite is carbonate (calcite group, nickel), (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO₃. In the hand, it rates 4.5 to 5 on the Mohs scale, and it runs bright apple green and yellow-green with brown veins. Loud apple-green carbonate webbed with brown matrix veins, heavier than it looks and a favorite of Southwestern inlay work.
The geology.
Gaspeite carries the formula (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO₃. It belongs to the trigonal system. It is classified as carbonate (calcite group, nickel).
It sits at 4.5 to 5 on the Mohs scale. The surface reads vitreous to dull. Light behaviour is translucent to opaque. Specific gravity runs 3.7. The streak is yellow-green. It breaks with rhombohedral cleavage; uneven in massive form.
Loud apple-green carbonate webbed with brown matrix veins, heavier than it looks and a favorite of Southwestern inlay work.
You will most often meet it as cabochons, beads, inlay in Southwest jewelry or massive nodules.
The origins.
Nickel deposits: Gaspé Peninsula (Quebec, namesake) and chiefly Widgiemooltha, Western Australia (now scarce).
On value, the database notes: mid-range and rising since the mines closed.
Traditional associations.
In energy work traditions, associated with good fortune and heart-forward practicality.
People buy on this language, so it belongs on the page. It belongs under the facts, though, not over them.
Spotting the real thing.
Loud apple-green carbonate webbed with brown matrix veins, heavier than it looks and a favorite of Southwestern inlay work.
Dyed magnesite imitates it constantly in beads, weight and warm-acid fizz identify the real thing.
| Looks like | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Variscite | Variscite is softer-toned green without brown net veining and lighter in hand |
| Chrysoprase | Chrysoprase is harder (scratches glass) and translucent |
| Dyed magnesite | Dye pools in web veins and lifts with acetone; gaspeite's color is through-body |
At-home tests.
You can run every one of these at a kitchen table. Good light matters more than gear when you are looking at gaspeite.
| Test | What you should see |
|---|---|
| Acid check | Fizzes in warm vinegar (carbonate) |
| Scratch check | Knife scratches it |
| By eye | Notably heavy for a green stone (SG 3.7) |
Destructive tests belong to a gemologist, not a kitchen table. If a piece matters to you, pay for an appraisal before you take a file to it.
Care & handling.
At 4.5 to 5 on the Mohs scale this is a soft material. Keep it as a display piece, store it apart from harder stones, and skip daily-wear settings.
It breaks with rhombohedral cleavage; uneven in massive form, which is worth knowing before you set it or drop it.
Clean it by hand, dry it properly, and keep it away from ultrasonic cleaners and hot steam.
Nickel carbonate, wash hands after cutting or handling rough; polished stones are fine.
A deeper look.
Extended detail on composition, sourcing, authentication and market value.
The physical record
The formula on record is (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO₃. Crystal system: Trigonal. Specific gravity: 3.7. Streak: Yellow-green. Cleavage and fracture: Rhombohedral cleavage; uneven in massive form.
How it reaches the market
Nickel deposits: Gaspé Peninsula (Quebec, namesake) and chiefly Widgiemooltha, Western Australia (now scarce).
What it gets confused with
Variscite: Variscite is softer-toned green without brown net veining and lighter in hand. Chrysoprase: Chrysoprase is harder (scratches glass) and translucent. Dyed magnesite: Dye pools in web veins and lifts with acetone; gaspeite's color is through-body.
What it is worth
Mid-range and rising since the mines closed.
Where buyers get caught
Dyed magnesite imitates it constantly in beads, weight and warm-acid fizz identify the real thing.
One more thing
Most gaspeite jewelry traces to Australian nickel mines that closed, Navajo and Zuni inlay made the leftover green famous.
An education-first guide.
We do not stock gaspeite. Writing it up regardless is the point of a reference library.
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