Judging quality
Look for translucent wedge-shaped crystals with glassy faces and clean edges. French Alpine material from the Oisans is the historical benchmark.
Silicate
Axinite
Sharp axe-blade crystals in clove brown with violet flashes, strongly pleochroic and unmistakable once seen.
Care
Brittle at the thin edges. Handle by the body of the crystal.
History & lore
The classic Alpine locality of Bourg d'Oisans has been collected since the eighteenth century and defined the species.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Axinite
- What is Axinite?
- Sharp axe-blade crystals in clove brown with violet flashes, strongly pleochroic and unmistakable once seen.
- How hard is Axinite and what is it made of?
- Axinite is a Silicate-family mineral with the composition Ca2(Fe,Mn)Al2BSi4O15(OH). It crystallizes in the triclinic system and rates 6.5-7 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in clove brown, violet.
- Where does Axinite come from?
- Notable localities for Axinite include France (Bourg d'Oisans), Pakistan, Mexico, USA.
- How do you tell good Axinite from filler?
- Look for translucent wedge-shaped crystals with glassy faces and clean edges. French Alpine material from the Oisans is the historical benchmark.
- How do you care for Axinite?
- Brittle at the thin edges. Handle by the body of the crystal.
Related stones
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.