Wavellite Gemstone: Properties, Meanings, Value & More

Wavellite is a commonly light yellowish-green stone with beautiful radiating crystal shapes that make it a popular collector’s mineral.

Is wavellite a gemstone? Yes, wavellite can be used as a gemstone. However, it’s rarely (if ever) faceted. You’re more likely to find wavellite cabochons or uncut crystals.

What are some fun facts about wavellite? One fun fact is that wavellite crystals are often in starburst or pinwheel-like formations, and sometimes you have to split the stone open to reveal these stunning shapes.

We have plenty more fun facts ahead, so read on to find out all of wavellite’s properties, benefits, prices, history, and more!

About Wavellite Stone

Wavellite is a semi-precious gemstone with some additional monikers:

• Bialite

• Brazilianite (misnomer)

• Devonite

• Fischerite

• Hydrargillite

• Kapnicite / Kapnikite

• Lasionite / Lazionite

• Uhligite

• Zepharovichite

Though not a traditional birthstone, it could substitute for peridot as an August birthstone. However, wavellite jewelry isn’t as durable as peridot. Astrologically, wavellite is an Aquarius stone.

Industrially, what is wavellite used for? Wavellite doesn’t have any current industrial use, but it was used for extracting phosphorus in the past.

Wavellite Specifications & Characteristics

Wavellite is an aluminum phosphate mineral with the formula Al3(PO4)2(OH)3·5H2O. The formula may be written as Al3(PO4)2(OH,F)3·5H2O to account for the high fluorine content. Iron is a common impurity.

A mineral incredibly similar to wavellite — sometimes considered identical — is fischerite. Fischerite is a green aluminum phosphate with the formula AlPO4·Al(OH)3+2 1/2 H2O. The only “variety,” per se, of wavellite is a gel-like form called gelfischerite.

Other minerals in the wavellite group include the fluorine analogue of wavellite, fluorwavellite, and the monoclinic ferric iron analogue of wavellite, allanpringite.

The best-known quality of wavellite is its range of fascinating crystal habits. Rarely found as distinct crystals, wavellite commonly forms radiating “starburst” or spherical crystal clusters. It can also be found as globular aggregates, striated prisms, crusts, stalactites, and sometimes chalcedony-like masses.

Here are all of wavellite’s properties listed:

• Mohs hardness: 3.5-4

• Color: Shades of green, yellow-green, yellow, yellowish-brown, brown, brownish-black, white, colorless, blue; Sometimes color-zoned

• Crystal structure: Orthorhombic

• Luster: Vitreous, resinous, greasy, or pearly

• Transparency: Translucent

• Refractive index: 1.520-1.561

• Density: 2.36

• Cleavage: Perfect on {110}, good on {101}, distinct on {010}

• Fracture: Subconchoidal to uneven/irregular

• Streak: White

• Luminescence: Sometimes fluorescent - yellow, green, or blue in SW-UV; Yellow or blue in LW-UV

• Pleochroism: Present but weak - green to yellow

• Birefringence: 0.025-0.026

• Dispersion: Weak to none

Next, what is the meaning of wavellite?

Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Wavellite Gemstone Meaning & History

Metaphysically, wavellite’s meaning is one of peace, rebirth, and intuition. Spiritual practitioners claim wavellite’s radiating shape spirals negative energies out of your spirit, replacing it with positive energies.

The stone’s name honors English physician and botanist William Wavell, who first discovered it in Devon, England. Another English physician (and founder of the Geological Society of London) named William Babington chose millerite’s name in 1805.

Also in 1805, British chemist Humphrey Davy analyzed the stone, calling it “hydrargilite.” Some historical accounts claim that Wavell was the first to identify phosphorus in the mineral.

On the topic of alternate names, wavellite went through many monikers from various mineralogists over time. Besides Davy’s moniker “hydrargilite,” some others were:

• Devonite — from English mineralogist William Thomson and Austrian naturalist Karl von Moll in 1809

• Lasionit — from German mineralogist Johann Nepomuk von Fuchs in 1831

• Kapnicit — from German mineralogist Gustav Adolph Kenngott in 1855-1856

• Zepharovichite — from Czech mineralogist Emanuel Bořický in 1869

• Bialite — from Belgian economic geologist Henri Buttgenbach in 1929

By the time the second volume of Dana’s The System of Mineralogy came out in 1951, “wavellite” was the established name, made official by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) in 1971.

Back to the spiritual side, what is wavellite good for?

Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Wavellite Healing Properties

As a healing stone, some of wavellite’s metaphysical properties come from its color, as it shares the rejuvenating and balancing properties inherent to green gemstones.

Physical Healing

Crystal healers recommend wavellite for treating or helping with:

• Blood circulation

• Dermatitis

• Reproductive issues

• Digestive problems

Of course, wavellite can help you emotionally, too.

Emotional Healing

Emotionally, wavellite is said to bring both soft and forceful — or feminine and masculine — energies in the best way. It can energize you with life and motivation while allowing you to feel more comfortable showing your more vulnerable, perhaps hidden side to the world.

This crystal has a strong humanitarian essence, as it’s believed to bring out your best self, making you more compassionate and connected to those around you. It may also heighten your emotional intuition, allowing you to understand your loved ones better and resolve relationship conflicts before they even arise.

Chakra Healing

Chakra healing involves understanding negative symptoms caused by an energy blockage, and opening the energy center (chakra) along your body associated with those symptoms.

Energy healers praise wavellite as an effective heart chakra stone. The heart chakra is located at, big surprise here, your heart! It governs all types of love and how willingly you accept changes.

When the heart chakra is blocked, you may feel apathetic, shut off from others, or undeserving of love. That’s when it’s time to use a stone like millerite to open or balance your heart chakra again, opening your heart to being loved, treating others with empathy, and accepting the ebbs and flows of life.

Wavellite Gemstone Properties

Experts determine wavellite’s value as a gemstone based on standard properties like its color, cut, clarity, and carat weight. There aren’t currently any treatments or synthetic options for wavellite known on the market.

Color

Most wavellite stones have a green to yellow. Green hues are typically caused by vanadium impurities. Carbonaceous inclusions can also make wavellite brown to black.

The rarest colors are white, colorless, blueish, and black.

Occasionally, miners uncover bi-colored wavellite (with two distinct color zones), like half-black and half-green specimens. These can be quite valuable.

Cut

Given its perfect cleavage, tendency to splinter, and low ranking on the Mohs mineral hardness scale, wavellite is rarely (if ever) faceted, making faceted wavellite incredibly rare and valuable.

It may be tumbled, cut into cabochons, or cut into freeform shapes. Collectors often seek out attractive rough (uncut) wavellite crystal specimens.

Clarity & Transparency

Clarity describes the visibility of inclusions in a gemstone, which can affect the stone’s transparency. Almost all wavellite is translucent, so any visible inclusions that make it lean more towards opaque can lower its value. Wavellites with greater transparency and fewer visible inclusions are more valuable.

Carat Weight & Size

Though crystal clusters and aggregates of millerite can be quite large, the individual crystals themselves are almost always very small — typically too small to cut. That said, Arkansas millerite has been cut into large cabochons.

Speaking of locales, we’ll look at how and where millerite forms next.

Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Wavellite Formation & Sources

Wavellite is a secondary mineral, meaning it forms when primary minerals (that grew in a rock as the rock formed) undergo changes via metamorphism. These transformations happen due to conditions like heat, pressure, and chemical changes.

Most often, wavellite is found in aluminum-rich, low-grade metamorphic rocks like limonite. It can also be found in phosphate rocks, hydrothermal veins, and limestone crevices or fractures.

The mineral commonly occurs with crandallite and variscite.

Moving from geological to geographical settings, where is wavellite found in the world?

Mining Locations

The most well-known sources for high-quality wavellite specimens are Arkansas, USA, and the stone’s original source: Devon, England.

Additional millerite sources include:

• Australia (Tasmania)

• Bolivia

• Bulgaria

• Czechia

• France

• Germany

• Ireland

• Japan

• Portugal

• Romania

• Slovakia

• USA (Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Pennsylvania)

Ready to browse some wavellite for sale? Then let’s chat about what to expect in terms of cost.

Wavellite Price & Value

Wavellite’s price can depend on its source, quality, size, and cut. Arkansas, USA, is known for producing the best specimens, so Arkansas millerite crystals are usually slightly pricier.

Additionally, rare colors like blue wavellite can carry steeper prices, often $80 to $2,000 for good-sized specimens.

Medium to large Arkansas millerite crystal specimens range from $10 to $600 each.

Millerite cabochons can be more affordable, generally costing around $1 per carat or $40 to $50 each.

Wavellite Care and Maintenance

Lastly, we’ll discuss proper gemstone care. Jewelry pieces, especially millerite rings, need protective settings in order to last. Less vulnerable options include millerite earrings or pendants.

Wavellite will readily dissolve in acids, so keep it away from any household supplies containing acid. To clean millerite, simply use a soft toothbrush, mild soap, and warm water.

Store the stone separately from other gems to avoid scratches.

Ride the Wave with Wavellite!

Beyond the totally tubular name, wavellite offers unique crystal shapes perfect for decor and radical healing vibrations. This radiating specimen is the perfect addition to any space to keep the good vibes flowing!

Buy wavellite gemstones today!