Danburite
Charcas, Charcas Municipality, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Dimensions: 1.7 × 0.9 × 0.7 cm
Provenance: Original collection label, catalog no. 531, identifying the specimen as clear danburite from San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
A transparent, colorless danburite crystal displaying an elongated prismatic form and sharply defined, wedge-shaped termination. Fine longitudinal striations extend along its glassy crystal faces, while delicate internal veils and fractures produce subtle flashes of rainbow iridescence. The lower portion transitions into a more translucent, frosted appearance, contrasting with the exceptional clarity of the upper crystal.
Danburite is a calcium borosilicate mineral that commonly forms in hydrothermal veins and metamorphosed calcium-rich rocks. Its orthorhombic crystal structure produces distinctive elongated prisms, frequently terminating in steep, wedge-shaped faces.
Charcas, in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, is a renowned locality for fine danburite crystals, particularly admired for their transparency, brilliant vitreous luster, and well-developed terminations. Danburite from this historic mining district has long been prized by mineral collectors for its exceptional crystal development.
