KYANITE
Specimen kya-17
$ 32.00Dims: 3.6 x 1.4 x 0.8" (9.1 x 3.6 x 2.0 cm)
Wt: 2.63 oz. (74.7 g)
Minas Gerais, Brazil
Though the Kyanite crystals on this specimen do not have the best form that I have seen, they are quite unusual in their own way. The largest of these crystals has dimensions of 3.5 x 0.8 x 0.6" (8.9 x 2.0 x 1.5 cm) and shows only a small amount of damage. It is very strange in the fact that on one side, it has the standard blue coloration, whereas on the other side of the crystal, its color is a dark gray-black! One other, smaller crystal shows this phenomenon, and there are several even smaller crystals that are entirely gray-black in color. These smaller crystals are much more heavily damaged than the largest one, and several are incomplete. There is a thin, finely-grained mica schist matrix holding these crystals together, and a few tiny garnets are partly embedded therein. Finally, there are two hexagonal prismatic crystals with flat, basal terminations that are also partly embedded in the schist matrix- I can only guess that they are made up either of dravite or possibly apatite. They are well-formed and possess a dark brown color and a bright pearly luster.