"Raining gems" falls from Hawaii volcano

Precious stones, especially olivine or peridot, erupting from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii are raining down on surrounding areas,IFL ScienceOlivine is a green gemstone, a common component of volcanic rocks. This iron-magnesium silicate mineral comes in many colors but is usually pale green.

Olivine is abundant in low-silica extrusive rocks, like those from Kilauea volcano. It is one of the first things to solidify inside the magma as it cools.

Olivine is found everywhere in Hawaii. Over time, as basalt-containing lava erodes, it exposes mixed minerals, including olivine. According to geologist David Bressan and volcanologist Dr. Janine Krippner, there is a beach made entirely of olivine on the Big Island of Hawaii. The turquoise-blue Papakolea Beach was created when olivine crystals were ground out of volcanic rock. Because olivine crystals are so heavy, they remain on the shore while other rocks are washed away.

Lava continues to pour into the sea at several points in Kapoho Bay. The lava flows so fast and so heavily that it has created a new delta, the youngest land mass on Earth. All of the lava comes from Fissure 8. The extremely hot, gas-rich magma in this fissure creates lava fountains taller than a 20-story building. The volcanic eruptions shoot the magma high into the air, and the high crystallization temperatures cause the magnesium iron silicate to turn into olivine before it reaches the ground, creating a shower of gemstones.