Danburite - Specimen

Locality: Charcas Municipality, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Charcas, in San Luis Potosí, has been a mining district since the 16th century, producing silver, lead, zinc and copper from skarn and vein deposits. Its San Sebastián, La Bufa and neighbouring mines became famous for very clear danburite crystals. The Handbook of Mineralogy lists Charcas as a source of large danburite crystals, and the mines produced huge quantities of danburite specimens in the 1980s and 1990s.

Danburite is a calcium borosilicate, CaB₂(SiO₄)₂, named for its type locality at Danbury, Connecticut. It was first described in 1839, from crystals found while a ditch was being dug near downtown Danbury. It is hard, at 7 to 7.25 on the Mohs scale, with a vitreous to greasy lustre, and ranges from colourless and white to wine-yellow, yellowish brown or greenish.

At Charcas, danburite grows in calcite-filled pockets, and its crystals are often partly overgrown by small calcite or quartz crystals. Danburite crystals are prismatic, rhomboid to square in cross section, and can reach 50 cm in length.

This one of a kind danburite specimen from Mexico shows the long, clean crystal form that makes the species so recognizable. The main crystal is pale champagne to faint blush with a translucent body and a solid, elongated habit. You can see strong lengthwise striations, a broad termination, and a rough natural growth zone running along part of the crystal, which gives the piece a more honest, unpolished look. Smaller attached crystals and drusy matrix add depth without taking away from the main point, so the specimen still reads as bold and simple from a distance.

Danburite is a calcium borosilicate best known for forming sharp orthorhombic crystals with a glassy luster and a shape that can almost look like oversized topaz at first glance. Mexican material is especially respected by collectors because it often forms well-developed, substantial crystals with good clarity and strong terminations. This piece stands out for its length, the pale pinkish tone in parts of the crystal, and the way the main crystal remains dominant even with attached secondary growth. It has good shelf presence and the sort of natural damage and matrix contact that tells you it is a real mineral specimen, not something cleaned up into bland perfection.

In metaphysical traditions, danburite is often associated with calm, clarity, and a lighter emotional atmosphere. Many people are drawn to it for its gentle feel and connect it with peace, openness, and a quieter kind of focus.

Chemical Composition: CaB2Si2O8

Quantity: 1pc
With this product, you will get the actual stone in the photograph.