Description
Locality: Huanggang, China
Description: Ilvaite (often sold as ilvite) takes its name from Ilva, the old Latin name for the island of Elba in Italy, where it was first found. The French geologist Déodat de Dolomieu probably saw it there in 1784 but took it for black schorl. In 1807 Claude-Hugues Lelièvre described it as a new mineral and called it yenite, after Napoleon's victory at Jena. The name upset German mineralogists, and in 1811 Henrik Steffens renamed it ilvaite, the name used today.
This specimen comes from the Huanggang iron-tin deposit in Hexigten Banner, Inner Mongolia, China. The deposit has produced unusually thick, lustrous black ilvaite crystals, often with tapered, chisel-shaped tips, sometimes alongside quartz or calcite. It was written up in detail in The Mineralogical Record in 2012.
Ilvaite is a calcium iron silicate built from paired silica groups, with a Mohs hardness of 5.5 to 6. These pieces are dark brown to nearly black prismatic crystals with a sub-metallic to glassy lustre and fine striations along their faces.
Ilvite is often regarded as a grounding stone, valued for its steady presence and association with endurance. Its dark, earthy tone mirrors the qualities it’s said to inspire—focus, persistence, and stability.
Chemical Composition: CaFe²⁺₂Fe³⁺Si₂O₇O(OH)
Chakra: Root and Solar Plexus
Small
Approximate Size of 1 Piece: 35mm x 9mm x 7mm
Approximate Weight of 1 Piece: 10g
Medium
Approximate Size of 1 Piece: 45mm x 13mm x 8mm
Approximate Weight of 1 Piece: 17g
Large
Approximate Size of 1 Piece: 50mm x 17mm x 15mm
Approximate Weight of 1 Piece: 35g
X-Large
Approximate Size of 1 Piece: 52mm x 25mm x 20mm
Approximate Weight of 1 Piece: 60g
XX-Large
Approximate Size of 1 Piece: 60mm x 30mm x 20mm
Approximate Weight of 1 Piece: 95g
Quantity: 1pc
We do our best to buy quality products- although not every rock is the same. If you choose to purchase the "staff pick option", we will select the best of the batch for you. Otherwise, it will be at random from the larger batch we have in stock.