Danburite - Encyclopedia

    Class : Silicates
    Subclass : Tectosilicates
    Crystal system : Orthorhombic
    Chemistry : CaB₂(SiO₄)
    Rarity : Rare

Danburite is a rare pneumatolytic mineral formed during the injection of pegmatitic magmas into limestones or dolomites. It can also have an hydrothermal origin in metalliferous veins and alpine fissures. It owes its name to its locality of discovery : Danbury, Connecticut, USA. It is generally elongated and terminated prismatic crystals reminiscent of topaz. Transparent to translucent, it is mostly colorless to white, sometimes yellow to brown, pink, or more rarely orange or purplish. The danburite is a mineral that is sometimes cut in faceted gemstones for jewelery but it is still more a stone reserved for the collection.

In France, danburite has been reported at St-Maime in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence where it is found in pyrometamorphic rocks.

Can be easily confused with topaz especially when cut because the refractive index of these 2 species is very close.