Updated 4d ago

Danburite

$450.00

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Danburite is a fascinating mineral species - a calcium boro-silicate - which, based on its chemistry should be pretty rare, and it is. However, there are several anomalous localities where it is found in truly remarkable crystals, both in size and perfect shape. This, if anything, has led to a perception that it is common, but far from it. Crystallographically, its classic colourless, elongated wedge-shaped form is identical to Paracelsian - an extraordinarily rare barium aluminium silicate. Without any shadow of a doubt the mines around the town of Charcas in San Luis Potosí, Mexico have produced the world's finest crystals by a huge distance. The Aurora mine from where this superb specimen comes is probably the best of all. Forming a classic divergent spray, this piece is dominated by three main terminated colourless glassy Danburite crystals, the longest of which reaches 9.3 cm in length. These crystals are frosted white towards their base, but water-clear and gemmy at their terminations, two of which (the larger two) are perfect and one with a two small chips, one on each side. Ex Martin Kershaw Collection (no. 872) this specimen is likely pre-2000s in age and displays very well indeed.