Dianite This is a trade name for a recently discovered rock (1997) that has found popularity as a ge

DianiteThis is a trade name for a recently discovered rock (1997) that has found popularity as a gemstone due to its lovely blue colour. So far only one locality has been discovered, in the Yakutia oblast of Siberia, near to the only known source of Charoite (see http://on.fb.me/1uLKomu). It has also been misnamed Siberian blue Nephrite, since it contains some amphibole minerals from the same family including tremolite (a form of asbestos) and deep blue arfvedsonite, the source of the gorgeous hue. So while it can be cut to a high polish like Jade (Mohs hardness of 7, like quartz), it cannot be labelled as such. Why would one want to when it is so unique in its own right?The rock is a child of high pressure high temperature metamorphism, being a form of gneiss. The colour ranges from a light to a very dark blue. It was found around the time of the untimely demise of princess Diana, and named in her honour. The original find was small, and has been mined out, making good colour pieces like these a hard to find rarity. The slab measures 17x14x10cm and the sphere 17cm across.LozImage credit: Bonhams Auction Househttp://skylineminerals.com/Dianite.htmlhttp://www.classicgems.net/gem_dianite.htmhttp://stoneplus.cst.cmich.edu/amphibole.htm -- source link

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