# Feldspar > [!material-gem] Material Details > | | | > |---|---| > | **Aliases/Varieties** | Microcline. Orthoclase. Plagioclase. Amazonite. Labradorite. Moonstone. Sunstone. | > | **Category** | Gemstone | > | **Color(s)** | Varies, usually white, pink, gray, or brown | > | **Cost** | —— | > | **Environment/Habitat** | —— | > | **Profession(s)** | [[Alchemist]], [[Jewelcrafter]], [[Tinkerer]] | > | **Qualities** | - Alchemical<br>- Ornamental<br>- Protective | > | **Rarity** | —— | > | **Size** | —— | > | **Weight** | —— | > [!material-gem] Specifications > | | | > |---|---| > | **Crystal System** | Triclinic or monoclinic | > | **Formations** | Formed in igneous rocks, found commonly everywhere | > | **Formula** | varies | > | **Hardness** | 6.0–6.5 (Mohs) | > | **Mineral Class** | Silicate mineral group | > | **Primary Components** | silica, aluminum, oxygen, potassium, sodium, calcium | > | **Refractive Index** | —— | --- ## Description The most abundant group of minerals appearing in a variety of forms. It is used in construction, decorative arts, and magical practice, mostly for earth manipulation. ### Physical Description A group of rock-forming minerals comprising most of the planet's crust. All feldspars are aluminum tectosilicates with various additions of sodium, potassium, or barium. Depending on the elements included and the temperature in which they were created, feldspars take on many forms, from transparent to opaque, a variety of colors, from white to gray, pink, blue, or green. The most magically significant gemstone varieties of feldspar are described in their separate entries (see Labradorite, p. 138; Moonstone, p. 162; Sunstone, p. 222.) --- ## Occurrence Feldspar is widely found in all environments: in sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks. It can present both in hard rocks like granite and weathered into clays and soil. The classification of many rocks is based on their feldspar content. For a personal use, almost every rock picked up from the ground will be at least partially made of feldspar, usually mixed with quartz. ### Extraction & Preparation Commercially, feldspar is mined from pegmatite or feldspathic sand deposits in open quarries. No special equipment is necessary for the operation. For most industrial use, feldspar is then cut, ground or milled into fine powder. --- ## Properties ### Decorative Properties Gemstone varieties of feldspar are relatively rare—yet due to the abundance of material, not very expensive. They can be beautifully cut and faceted, but are rarely used in jewelry due to their low hardness and lack of customer demand. ### Industrial Properties Widely used in many industries such as in production of glass, ceramics, insulation, tableware, tiles, paints, and abrasives. At a larger scale, feldspars are used in construction of stone buildings, monuments, bridges, roads, etc. ### Magical Properties Feldspar is the most under appreciated material in magical practice, despite being used constantly—even unconsciously. In most spells and rituals invoking the physical material of earth, from shaping stone to moving mountains, the magic interacts with feldspar contained in the rocks. It has a unique magical resonance, responding to the call and will of a practitioner. Tools made from feldspar, like wands or seals, amplify the resonance and reduce the strain on magician employing such earth-based magic. The connection between various types of feldspar finds great use in alchemy—with an addition of necessary chemical elements, one variety may be easily turned into another. This allows an enterprising alchemist to turn plain clay into precious kaolinite, sturdy granite, or even gemstone-quality specimens, ready to be cut and sold. Amazonite, a bluish-green variety of microcline feldspar, is a favorite of gamblers. It brings luck in the games of chance, attracts money, and protects one from being cheated. It increases the probability of success in unlikely situations, magically adjusting the odds in its owner's favor. Additionally, amazonite has a freeing and balancing emotional effect. It bestows mental flexibility, improves concentration, and helps to weather the storms of sadness, anxiety, and mood swings.