Emeraldite – Habachtal, Austria

Accompanying mineral Emeraldite found in the same area as Austrian emeralds

In addition to emeralds, emeraldite, a type of rock rich in minerals similar to emeralds, is also abundant in Habachtal, Austria. Emeraldite is formed in green shales and is often used as a decorative stone due to its green colour, which can vary in shades depending on the composition of the particular sample. Although emeraldite is not technically the same as gem emerald, it contains minerals such as actinolite and chlorite, which give it a specific, rich green colour that resembles emeralds.

Today, Habachtal also offers hiking "emerald trails." In addition to tourists who travel to Habachtal for the opportunity to find their own emeralds, or emeraldites.

Curiostities: Most often the term "emeraldite" is associated with alpine rocks, where it is used as a local name for stones with long, green crystals of actinolite, making the name traditional but unofficial. This alpine 'emeraldite' has a varied texture, with omphacite and actinolite providing the green colour, and jade, albite, quartz and, due to geological changes, quartz may also be present in the white part.