Danburite (rare color)

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/white, but are included by a rare Amphibole called Magnesioriebeckite, for which Alto Chapare is the type locality. This specimen features a nice, 1.2 cm, sharp, lustrous, well formed, prismatic, gray-blue color crystal of Danburite on white talc matrix. It is very difficult to obtain matrix specimens of Danburite from this locality, as the majority of the crystals are loose singles. 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.