A STUNNING PERUVIAN OPAL NECKLACE WITH AMAZONITE, AFRICAN AGATE AND STERLING SILVER. HAND CRAFTED ON VANCOUVER ISLAND. LENGTH 24 INCHES. Legend has it that amazonite was named by the South American Indians in the 18th century who said it came from a land of women without men and so called it “amazon stone”. Formerly amazonite was mined almost exclusively in Russia, but Colorado in the USA is now a major source. Amazonite is a member of the feldspar family and owes its greeny-blue colour to copper deposits. It is believed to encourage self-determination and encourage the wearer to take charge of his or her own life by encouraging clear thinking. Agate obtains its typical banded appearance through the deposition of other quartz substances within the layers. It enjoyed a high reputation as a protective stone in the ancient world. The tradition still holds strong today as agate is widely used in spiritual healing, believed to balance and harmonise the body and mind.