Sapphirine

A perfect example of the rare mineral sapphirine in the form of a flat, extremely large crystal from the new discoveries in Madagascar. Sapphirine is a silicate, which at most deposits around the world only forms small grains. It was named for its resemblance to sapphire not only in crystal shape but also in the blue color that is typical for some sapphirines. The offered sample is a flat dark crystal extracted from biotite rock. The size of the crystal is 44 mm, and it is indeed a very large crystal within this mineral species. The crystal is complete; due to a crack in the lower part, it has been gently stabilized in its place so that it would not fall off during preparation. Crystals of sapphirine from the Morafeto deposit are certainly the best and by far the largest crystals of this otherwise systematic mineral in the world. It is a perfect collector’s specimen.