$105Median
21Sold (12 mo)
$100Last sale
Sphene specimens for sale
56 for sale · $60–$4,500 USD
171 in the gallery
Sphene, also known as titanite, is a calcium titanium silicate mineral that commonly forms short to tabular crystals and pale to vibrant greenish-yellow to brown varieties. It often shows a vitreous to resinous luster and a vitreous transparency in finer crystals, with a color range that can shift from yellow-green to brown depending on impurities and oxidation states. The mineral frequently occurs in silicic igneous rocks and associated pegmatites, and it can appear in metamorphic slices as well, sometimes forming notable elongated crystals that display characteristic cleavage and a silky sheen in reflected light.
- Formula
- CaTi(SiO4)O
- Rarity
- Common
- Stability
- Stable
- Collector interest
- High Interest
- Classification notes
- Silicate mineral; Nesosilicate (titanite group)
Key characteristics
- Crystal system
- monoclinic
- Mohs hardness
- 5–5.5
- Specific gravity
- 3.48–3.6
- Luster
- adamantine, vitreous, resinous
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent, opaque
- Color
- colorless, gray, black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green
- Streak
- white
- Cleavage
- distinct
- Fracture
- subconchoidal, uneven
- Crystal habit
- prismatic, tabular, granular, massive
- Gem mineral
- Classic / historic
Buy Sphene specimens
View all 56Where Sphene is found
Top localities
- Capelinha14 specimens
- Tormiq Valley7 specimens
- Imilchil4 specimens
- Tyrol3 specimens
- Pakistan2 specimens
- Switzerland2 specimens
- Central St Gotthard Massif2 specimens
- Pfitsch pass2 specimens
- Senning Gorge2 specimens
- Shigar Valley2 specimens
About Sphene
Significant specimens come from places like Pakistan, Brazil, Austria, Switzerland, and Namibia, where sphene crystals can appear in well-formed prisms or as inclusions within other minerals. Collectors prize sphene for its bright refractive heat and the way the crystals catch and refract light, producing lively color and a strong glassy appearance. Its relative rarity in well-formed crystals and the appeal of its high dispersion add to its desirability, especially when crystals are well-preserved and display crisp termination edges.
