THE GEMSTONE LIBRARY
Gaspeite (Australia)
Bright yellow-green Gaspeite from Australia makes a striking contrast with the surrounding host material in our May 2025 collection photograph.
Our photographed material
These polished pieces were supplied to Soul Body Gems as Australian Gaspeite. The image records that collection description and the pieces’ appearance. It does not establish a particular Australian mine or replace a specimen-specific identification. The contrast between the vivid green areas and their darker markings gives each polished piece its own pattern.
A nickel-bearing carbonate
Gaspeite is a carbonate containing nickel, magnesium and iron, commonly expressed as (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO₃. It belongs to the calcite group. It is often compact and massive, with colors ranging from pale green to grass-green and olive. The reference hardness is about 4.5–5. Its name comes from the Gaspé Peninsula in Canada, where the mineral was first described.
Australian occurrences
Published occurrences include Western Australian nickel districts around Nullagine, Kambalda, Agnew and Widgiemooltha. Those records provide geological context for Australian material, but they do not identify the source of every piece in commerce. Keeping a supplier’s locality information is more useful than assigning a mine from color alone.
Color and identification
The green appearance is memorable, yet color alone cannot distinguish gaspeite from every other green mineral or establish whether a polished piece has been treated. No laboratory report is attached to the photographed pieces on this page. A report, if later added, should identify the actual specimen examined and keep its conclusions separate from untested collection photographs.
Appreciating polished pieces
Look at the relationship between the green regions and the surrounding material rather than expecting one uniform color. Polishing reveals those boundaries and makes a piece comfortable to handle. Different photographs and lighting conditions can change the apparent brightness, so a photograph should be read as one view of a physical object.
Care
Protect polished pieces from harder stones and sharp knocks. Dust gently with a soft cloth and avoid acidic cleaners or prolonged immersion. These are practical precautions for carbonate material; keep the piece’s supplier information alongside it.
Source
Handbook of Mineralogy: Gaspeite, including the original 1966 description and published Western Australian occurrences. Reference mineral properties do not constitute a test of our photographed pieces.
