THE MINERAL DANBURITE
- Chemistry: CaB 2 Si 2 O 8 , Calcium boron silicate
- Class: Silicates
- Subclass: Sorosilicates
- Uses: mineral specimen
- Specimens
Danburite is not a well-known mineral but is growing in popularity. With crystals similar to topaz, danburite offers a unique opportunity for a collector who likes perfectly transparent crystal clusters. People who admire clear quartz will like the different look of danburite. Its diamond-shaped cross-section and wedge like termination is a contrast to quartz's hexagonal prisms and pyramidal terminations. Danburite's original locality is now buried under the city of Danbury, Connecticut.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
- Color is almost always clear or white, but also can be shades of yellow, pink and brown.
- Luster is vitreous.
- Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
- Crystal System is orthorhombic; 2/m 2/m 2/m
- Crystal Habits include generally prismatic crystals with a diamond-shaped cross-section. The termination is a steeply slanted dome producing a wedge look. Crystals can be rather thin to almost acicular or up to a foot long and several inches across.
- Cleavage is poor in one direction, basal.
- Fracture is uneven to conchoidal.
- Hardness is 7 - 7.5
- Specific Gravity is approximately 3.0 (average)
- Streak is white or colorless.
- Associated Minerals are quartz, feldspars, cassiterite, dolomite, corundum variety ruby, and fluorite.
- Notable Occurrences include Danbury, Connecticut and Russell, New York, USA; Charcas, San Luis Potosi, Mexico; Kyushu Is., Japan; Mogok, Burma and Uri, Switzerland.
- Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, poor cleavage, hardness and associations.
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