Danburite (blue)

Item Description

One of the new finds from the summer collecting in Bolivia. While these specimens are not a new find per se, they are new specimens from a well known locality. These are the only blue Danburite crystals that I have ever seen from any locality. Truly the crystals themselves are colorless, but are included by a rare Amphibole called Magnesioriebeckite, for which this is the type locality. This specimen hosts a good, sharp, lustrous, well formed, prismatic, doubly-terminated, gray-blue color crystal of Danburite measuring 2.1 cm sitting atop white Talc matrix. It is not common to find the Danburite crystals from this locality on matrix, especially doubly-terminated crystals aesthetically perched on matrix like this. An interesting historical note about this locality: Supposedly the mineral was first discovered in the tomb of a cacique (a native Indian chief) where they had been placed jewels to signify that he was rich. The find of these crystals was made near there.