Judging quality
A genuine twin has continuous crystal faces across both arms and a matte, resinous surface. Carved or glued 'fairy crosses' show tool marks and a seam.
Silicate
Staurolite
Iron aluminium silicate famous for twinning into natural crosses — some at ninety degrees, some at sixty. Russian Kola material gives the crispest right-angle crosses.
Care
Hard but often weathered. Dry brush is enough.
History & lore
Appalachian folklore calls them fairy stones; Virginia protects one deposit as a state park where visitors may still hunt them.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Staurolite
- What is Staurolite?
- Iron aluminium silicate famous for twinning into natural crosses — some at ninety degrees, some at sixty. Russian Kola material gives the crispest right-angle crosses.
- How hard is Staurolite and what is it made of?
- Staurolite is a Silicate-family mineral with the composition Fe2Al9Si4O23(OH). It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and rates 7-7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in brown, clove brown, black.
- Where does Staurolite come from?
- Notable localities for Staurolite include Virginia, USA, Georgia, USA, Russia (Kola), Brittany, France.
- How do you tell good Staurolite from filler?
- A genuine twin has continuous crystal faces across both arms and a matte, resinous surface. Carved or glued 'fairy crosses' show tool marks and a seam.
- How do you care for Staurolite?
- Hard but often weathered. Dry brush is enough.
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.