Visible;
O
= colorless; E
= purple, indigo, greenish blue
Occurances
Geological
Setting:
In
natrolite veins cutting glaucophane schist in a serpentine
body (San Benito Co., California, USA); in a magnesio-riebeckite-quartz-phlogopite-albite
dike cutting serpentinite (Ohmi, Japan).
Benitoite
is a rare barium
titanium silicate mineral that is one of the rarest
and most beautiful of all gems. Benitoite has the color of fine blue
Sapphire
and dispersion slightly higher
than that of Diamond! Added
to those impressive features are the purple it
displays due to its pleochroism and the bright bluish-white
glow it exhibits under shortwave UV light and you have
one of the most spectacular of all gems. If that wasn't
impressive enough, to add to its rarity, Benitoite is
a one source gem coming from only one location in the
world. Benitoite has been found at a few localities
worldwide, but gem quality crystals only come from the Benitoite
Gem Mine (also known as the
Dallas Gem Mine) in San
Benito County, California, USA. The Benitoite Gem Mine is now closed and only
surface collecting is allowed. Benitoite was named California's
state gemstone in 1985.
Benitoite
gems are most known for their blue to purplish blue
colors but are also occassionally available as colorless
and rarely, pink. A few colorless gems have been treated
by a secret process that turns them light orange. Benitoite
gems have a very impressive dispersion (fire and brilliance)
of 0.046 that
is slightly greater than that of Diamond at 0.044. Benitoite
exhibits a beautiful blue to bluish white fluorescence
under shortwave UV light and an intense blue cathodoluminescence.
If you hover your cursor over the Benitoite picture
at the top of this page you will see the beautiful blue
glow of the Benitoite gem under shortwave UV light. With
a Mohs hardness of 6.0 - 6.5 and poor cleavage, Benitoite
gems are suitable for jewelry.
Benitoite
is a very rare and dersirable gem but is also very desirable
and collectible as a mineral specimen. Benitoite specimens
frequently feature a very aesthetic collection of blue,
pyramidal, triangular Benitoite crystals associated
with lustrous black Neptunite
crystals and
orange Joaquinite crystals on a bed of bright white
Natrolite crystals
on
a grayish blue Glaucophane Schist matrix.
Benitoite was first
identified, described and named in 1907 by American
geologist George Davis Louderback (1874–1957). He named it Benitoite for its occurrence in
San Benito County, California. Louderback also described and
named another new mineral often associated with Benitoite,
Joaquinite,
which he named after Joaquin Ridge, located near the Benitoite Gem Mine.
Benitoite
distribution: in the USA, in California, at the Benitoite
Gem Mine, Mina Numero Uno, the Victor and Junilla claims,
and on Santa Rita Peak, San Benito County; from the
Big
Creek-Rush Creek District, Fresno County; and on Trumbull Peak,
Mariposa County; in the Diamond Jo quarry,
Magnet Cove, Hot Spring County, Arkansas. From Kinzandani, Hashidate, Ohmi, Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture, Chubu Region, Honshu Island, Japan.
At Šebkovice, Třebíč, Vysočina Region, Moravia, Czech Republic.
Benitoite
gems for sale:
Gem:
Benitoite
Stock
#:
BENI-003
Weight:
3.0910
ct
Size:
10.42
x 7.50 x 5.40 mm
Shape:
Fancy
- Shield
Color:
Purplish-Blue
Clarity:
85%
Loupe Clean - 15% SI2
Origin:
San
Benito Gem Mine, CA, USA
Treatment:
None
(natural)
Price:
$9,000.00
Pictures
are of the actual gem offered for
sale. Gem images are magnified to
show detail.
This extemely
rare gem is from the now closed Benitoite Gem Mine in
San Benito County, California, USA - the
only location in the world for gem-quality
Benitoite. OK, so if a two carat Benitoite is extremely rare;
then a three carat Benitoite is
exceedingly rare! The color of this
gem is ideal for Benitoite (a beautiful
purplish-blue). This gem is about 85% loupe
clean with two feather inclusions and
one very small nick at the girdle. Just
the fact that this Benitoite is ideal color
and over three carats makes this gem a true
rarity!
It was precision faceted in the US. This Benitoite includes an EGL USA
appraisal of $9,800.00! (Report # US 40237301C).
Pictures
are of the actual gem offered for
sale. Gem images are magnified to
show detail.
Here is a large round Bentioite! As most Benitoite collectors know, this is considered large for
such a clean and well cut gem. It is a .97ct, medium blue gem that is slightly included.
It measures 6.2mm in diameter. There are a few small veils in the
pavilion as well as a bit of matrix inclusion that is also
tucked away in the pavilion. This is actually
very clean for such a large Benitoite gem.
Pictures
are of the actual gem offered for
sale. Gem images are magnified to
show detail.
This beautiful
gem really shows the extreme brilliance
and fire of Benitoite. The precision faceting brings out the best in this gem. The
color is a medium blue with flashes of purple.
As usual, the pictures can't capture the
true beauty of the gem. This
gem was precision faceted in the US.
Pictures
are of the actual gem offered for
sale. Gem images are magnified to
show detail.
A
very large and unique Benitoite with pale
blue color and a slightly sleepy appearance
due to very fine Natrolite fibers. This
gem was cut in the US and is very well faceted
in an elongated trillion/pear shape.
The color is lighter than most Benitoites
which allows its brilliance to show very
well. It
is a very bright and beautiful gem.
Gem:
Benitoite
Stock
#:
BENI-006
Weight:
0.1375
ct
Size:
3.48
x 2.65 x 1.82 mm
Shape:
Oval
Color:
Colorless
Clarity:
Eye Clean
Origin:
San
Benito Gem Mine, CA, USA
Treatment:
None
(natural)
Price:
$85.00
Pictures
are of the actual gem offered for
sale. Gem images are magnified to
show detail.
A
very rare colorless Benitoite from the closed
Benitoite Gem Mine in San Benito County,
California, USA.
Pictures
are of the actual gem offered for
sale. Gem images are magnified to
show detail.
This beautiful
gem really shows the extreme brilliance
and fire of Benitoite. The precision faceting brings out the best in this gem. The
color is a medium blue with flashes of purple.
This
gem was precision faceted in the US.
Gem:
Benitoite
Stock
#:
BENI-002
Weight:
2.0100
ct
Size:
7.17
x 8.55 x 5.26 mm
Shape:
Fancy
- Kite
Color:
Purplish-Blue
Clarity:
Flawless!
Loupe Clean
Origin:
San
Benito Gem Mine, CA, USA
Treatment:
None
(natural)
Price:
SOLD
(but we have others)
Pictures
are of the actual gem offered for
sale. Gem images are magnified to
show detail.
This extemely
rare gem is from the now closed Benitoite Gem Mine in
San Benito County, California, USA - the
only location in the world for gem-quality
Benitoite. A two carat Benitoite is very rare;
a flawless two carat Benitoite is
extremely rare! The color of this
gem is ideal for Benitoite (a beautiful
purplish-blue), the faceting is supurb!
It was precision faceted in the US. This gem has lots of fire and brilliance
- it is nothing short of breath-taking!
Pictures
are of the actual gem offered for
sale. Gem images are magnified to
show detail.
This beautiful,
rare gem is from the now closed Benitoite Gem Mine in
San Benito County, California, USA - the
only location in the world for gem-quality
Benitoite. The color is beautiful, the clarity is
flawless and the faceting is excellent.
Gem:
Benitoite
Stock
#:
BENI-001
Weight:
0.3700
ct
Size:
4.71
x 3.25 x 2.68 mm
Shape:
Cut
corner rectangle
Color:
Blue
w/ purple highlights
Clarity:
Flawless
(loupe clean)
Origin:
San
Benito Gem Mine, CA, USA
Treatment:
None
(natural)
Price:
SOLD
(but we have others)
Pictures
are of the actual gem offered for
sale. Gem images are magnified to
show detail.
This beautiful,
rare gem is from the now closed Benitoite Gem Mine in
San Benito County, California, USA - the
only location in the world for gem-quality
Benitoite. The color is beautiful, the clarity is
flawless and the faceting is excellent.