Unakite and Bloodstone: What Are They, And What's The Difference?

Unakite and bloodstone, what are they and what is the difference between them?

In this blog post, we are going to take an in-depth look at both unakite and bloodstone to determine what they are and how they differ.

Let’s get into it!

Unakite and Bloodstone (EXPLAINED)

What Is Unakite?

Unakite is a unique form of granite that comes in a range of different shades.

It is made up of green epidote, pink feldspar, and clear quartz.

Usually, it comes in a beautiful, mottled pink and green color.

However, it can vary in shade from stone to stone.

One important thing to remember when looking for unakite is that it must have the pink granite inclusion.

If it doesn’t include this, it is only considered simply epidosite.

Unakite is often considered a semiprecious stone.

This is especially true when there is a huge amount of quartz and it is frequently polished and cut into spheres, cabochons, beads, and even animal cravings.

Named after the Unaka mountain range in Tennessee where it was very first discovered in 1874 by Mr. Bradley, unakite is now mined in areas all over the world.

Some of these places include China, South Africa, and Brazil. However, it is most commonly minded within America.

You can also find unakite in the form of pebbles and stones along the shores of Lake Superior in Minnesota.

What Is Bloodstone?

Bloodstone has become a very popular gemstone in recent times. However, it had previously been popular for over two thousand years.

In fact, it has served as the modern birthstone for the month of March since the year 1912.

Bloodstone had a beautiful splatter of bright red over a dark green variety of chalcedony.

It is often referred to as heliotrope by European authors and in works from the 18^th century and earlier on.

Bloodstone is a form of cryptocrystalline quartz being a member of the chalcedony family.

Bloodstone has a hardness of roughly 7 on the Mohs hardness scale.

However, it is important to note that the hardness of bloodstone is usually a little bit lower than this at roughly 6.5.

The opaque diaphaneity and hardness of bloodstone are said to be attributed to included mineral matter of roughly several percent on the basis of weight.

The reason for bloodstone’s beautiful dark green base color is said to be from tiny inclusions of pyroxene, chlorite, and amphibole.

The bright splashes of red on the other hand are concentrations of iron oxide minerals, mainly hematite.

Unakite and Bloodstone: What Is the Difference?

Now, let’s take a look at a few of the key differences between unakite and bloodstone.

1. Mineral Composition

The very first difference to be aware of between unakite and bloodstone is the separate mineral compositions.

Bloodstone is an aggregate of microgranular quartz/chalcedony, also known as jasper. It is heavily composed of silicon dioxide.

The red spots that bloodstone is so famous for is a concentration of iron oxide minerals.

However, unakite on the other hand, is really a form of granite.

Unakite forms when granite is altered by hydrothermal activity.

It is also important to know that unakite was named after the region it was first found.

As you can see from this, they have entirely different mineral compositions.

2. Color Palette

One of the most instantly obvious things about these two stones is the fact that they both have entirely different colors when you look closely.

If you look closely at the tonality of both unakite and bloodstone, it is clear to notice that the green intensity in both of these beautiful crystals is entirely different.

Firstly, you will notice that bloodstone presents as a dark and intense forest green colored stone.

In fact, the intensity of the green is so harsh that it almost becomes a bluish-green hue.

On top of that, the bright red spots on bloodstone are so vivid that it is between a cherry and merlot tonality.

The red color is very intense.

Unakite on the other hand doesn’t display as much of a dark green or bluish-green hue.

Instead, this stone showcases a very bright red color that includes patches of light red to pinkish splatters.

This alone makes it easy to determine the difference between unakite and bloodstone.

However, it is important to know that the colors of unakite vary from one stone to another.

Though, the overall appearance is far lighter than bloodstone is.

3. Stone Patterns

Aside from the obvious color differences and the mineral compositions of both unakite and bloodstone, the next way to tell them apart is by the visual patterns that appear on the surface of the two stones.

They are quite distinct. Bloodstone is pretty much unified.

There are really no specific patterns as the forest green color paired with the blatant red spots covers the entirety of the stone. It has no distinct pattern or texture.

On the other hand, the surface of unakite is much more textured and patterned than that of bloodstone.

Unakite has far more of a marble-like pattern with several different shades of green and pinkish-red spots scattered around its surface.

The Differentiating Key Points

Here are four of the key points that will help you see the difference between unakite and bloodstone:

Unakite

Patterns: Textured and patterned with no specific pattern.
Mineral composition: A variety of granite.
Healing properties: Unakite is most commonly associated with the release of significant emotional blockages, assistance, and nurturing a life balance.
Colors: Lighter green colors with red and pink splatters throughout the stone.

Bloodstone

Patterns: No real texture or patterns.
Mineral composition: A kind of jasper.
Healing properties: Bloodstone is most commonly associated with gaining self-control, courage, empowerment, and harboring strength.
Colors: Dark forest green with vibrant red specks throughout the surface of the stone.

The Bottom Line

Both unakite and bloodstone share similar visual aspects upon the first look.

However, when you begin to take a deeper, more educated look into the two stones, you will find that they are actually very distinct.