Judging quality
True hiddenite is chromium green and comes overwhelmingly from a small area of North Carolina; pale yellow-green spodumene from elsewhere is often sold under the name.
Spodumene
Hiddenite
The green chromium-bearing variety of spodumene, and one of the few significant gemstones first described from the eastern United States.
Care
Same fragility as kunzite: perfect cleavage, light-sensitive color.
History & lore
Discovered near Stony Point, North Carolina in the 1870s and named for the mine superintendent William Hidden.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Hiddenite
- What is Hiddenite?
- The green chromium-bearing variety of spodumene, and one of the few significant gemstones first described from the eastern United States.
- How hard is Hiddenite and what is it made of?
- Hiddenite is a Spodumene-family mineral with the composition LiAlSi2O6. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and rates 6.5-7 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in green, yellow-green.
- Where does Hiddenite come from?
- Notable localities for Hiddenite include USA (North Carolina), Brazil, Afghanistan.
- How do you tell good Hiddenite from filler?
- True hiddenite is chromium green and comes overwhelmingly from a small area of North Carolina; pale yellow-green spodumene from elsewhere is often sold under the name.
- How do you care for Hiddenite?
- Same fragility as kunzite: perfect cleavage, light-sensitive color.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.