benitoite


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benitoite

[bə′nēd·ə‚wīt]
(mineralogy)
BaTi(SiO3)3 A blue to violet barium-titanium silicate mineral; at one time it was cut and sold as sapphire.
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References in periodicals archive ?
Although oriented toward mineral collectors, some items of interest to gemmologists that appeared in 2014 include tourmaline from Brazil, Tanzania and Nepal; gem-quality wurtzite and colour-change axinite-(Mg) from Merelani, Tanzania; demantoid from Iran; benitoite from California; and daylight-luminescent hyalite opal from Mexico (as reported in this issue of The Journal).
What's New in the Mineral World?
Soon they began searching further afield, and in 1966 they came across the Benitoite Gem mine, where they became acquainted with the lessee, Clarence Cole.
Died, Bill Forrest, 68
Other rarities are a "rainbow" calcite, which has the unique ability to separate and reflect light into its spectral colours, and the world's largest faceted benitoite gem, a stone the colour of blue sapphire but with the fire and reflective properties of diamond.
Light & stone: gems from the collection of Michael Scott
A few issues later he offered well-formed benitoite and neptunite crystals on natrolite for $1 to $2.
Died, George Burnham, 94
Suppose you own a mine in San Benito County, California that produces the best known crystals of benitoite in the world.
About mineral collecting part 4 of 5: some personal observations, ruminations, reflections, reminiscences, ramblings, digressions, grumblings, approbations, wisdom and advice gleaned from 50 years of collecting and dealing in minerals
I want to congratulate you on your fine report on the Benitoite Gem mine (January-February 2008).
Benitoite mine
com) brought to Denver an excellent lot of neptunite from the famous Benitoite Gem mine, San Benito County, California.
What's new in minerals
The Benitoite Gem mine is located in the Coast Range Mountains in San Benito County, north of the town of Coalinga.
Benitoite, neptunite and associated minerals from the Benitoite Gem mine, San Benito County, California
5-cm crystals lying along an open seam; the Wisconsin chalcocite shown on the cover of our March-April 1999 issue; the benitoite "wreath" shown on the cover of January-February 2008; the biggest and most richly colored microcline ("amazonite"), with smoky quartz, from the "Tree Root Pocket" of 1997, Pikes Peak; groups of gemmy yellow willemite crystals to 5 cm, from Franklin: a 28-em epidote crystal plate from Prince of Wales Island; an enormous and mirror-faced Japan-law twin of quartz atop a 26.
What's new in minerals: Tucson Show 2008
Readers of the article in this issue on the history of the Benitoite Gem mine will note the portion of the story devoted to the 1935 visit to the mine by collecting buddies Ed Swoboda and Pete Bancroft--then high school students.
Benitoite interviews

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