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 a strong, upright cluster of elongated white to colorless crystals with a distinctly bladed, layered look. The main crystal rises prominently from the base and is surrounded by smaller attached crystals that give the piece a natural sculptural shape. Fine lengthwise striations are visible across the faces, and the luster shifts between glassy and softly silky depending on the angle. Dark mineral staining and matrix at the base create good contrast and help the pale danburite stand out in photos and in hand.

Danburite is a calcium borosilicate that commonly forms in hydrothermal and skarn-related environments, where boron-rich fluids move through limestone-bearing rocks at elevated temperatures. Mexican danburite, especially material associated with the Charcas district, is well known among collectors for producing large, well-formed crystals with strong terminations and clean geometric form. This specimen has the kind of growth collectors like because it clearly shows the mineral’s natural crystal habit rather than appearing worn or rounded. The black material along the base and between some crystals adds texture and suggests associated mineralization from the host environment.

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

Chemical Composition: CaB2Si2O8

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