Danburite - Specimen

Locality: Charcas Municipality, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

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.

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.

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 clean, glassy crystal form that made Charcas material famous among mineral collectors. The crystals are pale and nearly colorless to faint champagne, with a soft translucent glow and strong linear striations visible across the faces. The piece has a compact clustered structure, with several stout prismatic crystals rising from a light-colored matrix, giving it a balanced and sculptural look rather than a loose spray. It is a specimen with a quiet kind of elegance, relying on sharp form, transparency, and natural luster instead of flashy color.

Danburite is a calcium borosilicate best known from a small number of important localities, and Mexican material from Charcas in San Luis Potosí is especially respected for its size, clarity, and crystal quality. Sources describing Charcas danburite repeatedly note the locality’s reputation for producing some of the finest crystals of the species. This specimen fits that reputation well, with broad, terminated crystals and a clean overall habit that makes the species easy to recognize. The faint warmth in the crystal tone, together with the natural matrix, gives it more presence than a plain white cluster.

In metaphysical traditions, danburite is often associated with calm, clarity, and a lighter emotional atmosphere. People are often drawn to it for its gentle feel, and it is commonly kept as a stone linked with peace, insight, and spiritual openness.

Chemical Composition: CaB2Si2O8

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