THE MINERAL BRAZILIANITE


Brazilianite is an unusual gemstone mineral. It is one of the only phosphate minerals to be used as a serious gemstone. Although the phosphate mineral apatite is cut into gems it is not considered as precious as brazilianite. Of course brazilianite is relatively new to the mineral markets and is still not well known to everybody.

It has a fair luster and interesting color, a yellow to greenish yellow. It may look a little like yellow topaz but brazilianite tends to be more green. Although not as hard as most other gemstones, it is one of the hardest phosphate minerals.

Brazilianite is found in phosphate rich pegmatites. The igneous pegmatites are rather unusual for their phosphate content. Brazilianite was discovered in Brazil (hence the name) and was later discovered in New Hampshire at the Palermo Mine. The discovery at the Palermo Mine surprised many geologists who had studied the minerals there in detail and yet had "missed" this new mineral.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

 

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