Variscite has been used in Europe to make personal ornaments, especially beads, since Neolithic times. In the tumulus (burial mounds) excavated in the 19th century in Brittany (France)—among them the tomb of Mané er Hroëck in Locmariaquer and the Tumiac mound in Arzon—dating from the Neolithic period, between 4500 and 4000 BCE, many ornamental pieces, beads, and pendants were found. These were made from a green stone that Alexis Damour identified as a hydrated aluminum phosphate containing some iron, which he considered equivalent to the
callaïs described by Pliny in his
Natural History. Later, variscite was found in Neolithic archaeological sites in Spain as well. During Roman times, variscite was used to imitate emerald crystals employed as pendants, being carved into prisms drilled longitudinally through the center but having eight faces instead of the six typical of emerald crystals. It was not until the 19th century that it was determined that all variscite used in Europe came from three sites in Spain, Gavá (Barcelona), Palazuelo de las Cuevas (Zamora), and Encinasola (Huelva). Variscite is sometimes used as a semi-precious stone, and is popular for carvings and ornamental use due to its beautiful and intense green color, and is commonly used in
silversmithing in place of turquoise. Variscite is less common than
turquoise. However, because it is not as commonly available or as well known to the general public, raw variscite tends to be less expensive than turquoise. ==Gallery==