Some People Claim That Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Is Causing It To Rain Green Gems

As Hawaii's Kilauea volcano continues to erupt and leave a mess, there are reports of an interesting substance coming from the lava.

Reports Of Raining Gems From The Sky

Some residents of Kalapana, Hawaii — which is about 12 miles from lava fissures of the volcano — claim that gemstones are falling from the sky. The eruption of the volcano is spewing material 130 feet into the air.

"It is literally raining gems," Jordan tweeted.

In turn, several other people were posting similar photos on social media. This is what got some people to believe that gems were raining down in certain neighborhoods in Hawaii.

What Is Olivine?

The gems are said to be olivine, which is a type of mineral. The olivine is green now, but it is likely going to turn dark and gray. Olivine contributes to the green look of many beaches in Hawaii.

"[It is] a common mineral in basaltic lava, which is what this eruption is producing," said Concord University volcanologist Janine Krippner. "Olivine is formed in hot and deep magmas and is brought up to the surface during an eruption."

Scientists Set The Record Straight In Hawaii

After further examination, scientists explained that the olivine has not been showering down on neighborhoods. Instead, it has been embedded within the lava that has been erupting from the volcano.

Scientists with the University of Hawaii at Hilo tested the chemicals of the lava. They believe that the photographs of the gems did not accurately match what they are finding within the lava. The shapes and sizes that the scientists located in the lava appeared to be different.

Cheryl Gansecki, a geologist at the University of Hawaii's Hilo campus, confirmed the findings last week. She said the photographs on social media were likely from a previous lava flow from a long time ago. The scientists located samples that are tiny and often stay with the lava. In fact, they had to break apart the lava just to get to them.

"There's not olivine raining from the sky, except in clumps of lava," Gansecki said. "I think this is pretty much a nonstory, unfortunately."

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientist Wendy Stovall examined the situation a few days ago and said that lava samples do contain olivine. However, she did not find any green crystals.