Fuchsite - Pierre

Fuchsite is named after the German chemist and mineralogist Johann Nepomuk von Fuchs (1774-1856). Fuchsite, also known as chrome mica, is a green variety of muscovite, belonging to the mica group of phyllosilicate minerals. The beautiful green color derives from chromium, and contingent to its amount, the color of the mineral ranges from pale light green to emerald green. Chemically, fuchsite and muscovite are very similar, though the green-silver shimmering fuchsite is often softer than muscovite and biotite. Apart from the occasional use as artists’ pigment, fuchsite was popular as rough scatter material in baroque nativity scenes. In Guatemala, early native cultures made artifacts from fuchsite. However, fuchsite is rarely used as material for art objects, since working with this brittle mineral is quite complicated. The fuchsite from Kremer Pigmente comes from Brasil. Fuchsite is offered in four different grain sizes.