Formula: K(AlSi₃O₈)

Species:  Silicates – (Tectosilicate)

Name: Named in 1847 by Johann Friedrich August Breithaupt for an unspecified type locality area “near” the Amazon River.

A variety of: Microcline. A green to blue-green variety of K-feldspar, usually microcline, but sometimes applied to orthoclase. The color is usually caused by an elevated content of Pb (up to 1.2% PbO). However, there are also indications that the green color of some microcline is caused by divalent Fe. Overenthusiastic uses of this name include giving this name to slightly gray-green hues in microcline that are often photosensitive and turn from greenish gray to light smoky gray. Sunlight can sometimes enrich the color of genuine amazonite.