Prehnite was named after its discoverer; Colonel Hendrik von Prehn and is an attractive collection mineral that is occassionally used for ornamental stone purposes. Its color is usually a pleasant green and is at times quite unique to prehnite. Typical prehnite forms rather thick crusts with a rough or crystaline texture. Epimorphs (crystal growth over the surface of another mineral) over laumontite crystals are interesting and attractive. Usually the laumontite has dissolved away leaving the hollow crust of prehnite behind.
Minerals that can be confused with prehnite include gyrolite, smithsonite and hemimorphite. Prehnite is harder than all of these and lacks smithsonite’s unusual luster. Hemimorphite is usually blue and gyrolite is not as glassy. Prehnite can be associated with many beautiful minerals and can make a fine specimen on its own. Its color, luster, associations and crystal habits make it a joy to own.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
• Color is usually a pale green to a yellowish grass green, also gray, white or colorless.
• Luster is vitreous to waxy or pearly.
• Transparency: Crystals are transparent to mostly translucent.
• Crystal System is orthorhombic; 2 m m.
• Cleavage is good in one direction (pinacoidal).
• Fracture is uneven.
• Hardness is 6 - 6.5.
• Specific Gravity is approximately 2.9+ (average).
• Streak is white.

• Notable Occurrences include the type locality of Cape of Good Hope, South Africa as well as Connecticut; Pennsylvania; Patterson, New Jersey and Centreville, Virginia, USA; Bombay, India; Harz Mountains, Germany; Austria; Scotland; Copper Valley, Namibia; Jeffery Quarry, Asbestos, Canada; China; New South Wales, Australia and France.
• Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, color, cleavage, hardness and associations.

SPIRITUAL POWERS:
Dreaming and remembrance. Enhances one’s protective field. Brings peace and calm. Healing attributes: Builds the immune system. Useful for anemia for blood disorders. Clearly the color and unusual touch generate a serenity and tranquillity uncommon even in the typical stress release stones. This is a most powerful stone. Has been used to aid in remembering dreams. Rub Prehnite just before going to sleep and ask for assistance in lucid dreaming. Due to its ability to rapidly move one into the other world, Prehnite has long been used as a secret stone of Shaman’s. Because it can carry one into both the sub-conscious and the earth’s astral it has become known as the “Prediction Stone”, and as such is much in demand by channelers.
Prehnite is par excellence for visualizations of any kind. It provides a smooth transition into meditation. One of the top stones available for self-hypnosis and auto-suggestion. In healing, Prehnite has been used to reduce high blood pressure and control hypertension. We have recently found that this remarkable stone can be used to balance meridians and also to activate (balance) acupuncture and acupressure points.