Henmilite from Fuka mine, Honshu Island, Japan

An exceptional collector’s specimen combining two borates of extraordinary geological rarity in a striking visual contrast. The matrix consists of a pure white mass of olshanskyite, upon which approximately twenty individual henmilite crystals are arranged in an aesthetically balanced association.

The henmilite crystals display the species’ characteristic intense, deep violet-blue color and an exceptionally well-developed triclinic habit, with clean faces, sharp edges, and a vitreous luster that is notably strong for the species. The crystallographic definition of the individual henmilite crystals is particularly impressive, with no apparent distortions, damage, or abrasions.

The Fuka Mine is the type locality for henmilite and the only confirmed worldwide source where this borate has been found as well-developed, high-quality crystals. Olshanskyite, meanwhile, is known from its type locality at Titovskoye, Yakutia, Russia, as well as from only two other documented localities: the Fuka Mine in Japan and the Shijiangshan Mine in Inner Mongolia, China

minID: 046-GUL