Preface
Howdy, all! The last month of northern hemispere summer is here.
Come on along for a
Charoite Picfest!
So, tune your eyes to another exotic purple gem, this month's favorite:
Charoite!
Let's
go!
Introduction
Welcome to our last of 2008's annual Mineral
Picfest summer blast!
Charoite was found first in Siberian Russia. If thought of
traversing frozen tundra appeals to
you--that's great! The 'cooler' weather might relieve us from our
Delaware summer's heat. If you
prefer, remain next to your computer for a comfortable look at
Charoite!
Enjoy!
Another rare mineral, found
only in one gem locale to date is Charoite. Sources conflict for
the
naming of this precious stone. Some attribute Charoite as having
been named for the Chara
River in Russia, near where it was first found in the 1940s.
Others support the Russian root word
for "magic" or "charm" (chara-), which alludes to the mineral's bright
coloring. The name was
officially approved by the IMA in 1978.
As Syenite intruded into
altered limestone, Charoite formed as a gemmy by-product.
Now
exploited as a gemstone, this purple wonder
From a gemstone point of view, an analog to Charoite might be Lapis
Lazuli. Both minerals
have a white mineralization and a golden mineral association that makes
them appear sometimes
as a granite or marble. A Charoite might contain the yellow
mineral Tinaksite, comparable to
Lapis' pyrite. This formation contributes to its complex beauty,
thus making for wild, yet classy
swirl patterns suitable for great cabs.
Check out the photos below to see the
emminently bold hues Charoite has to offer!
(Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charoite,
http://webmineral.com/data/Charoite.shtml)
Uses
Charoite has
only a gemstone and ornamental usage known to date.
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charoite
http://www.mindat.org/min-972.html
http://webmineral.com/data/Charoite.shtml
http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/Charoite.PDF
GT Gemstones
Gemology Software
"The
Facenating World of Minerals" at University of Manitoba, Canada
Members' Gallery
Here is where DMS Members can add their
Charoite
photos to share with us.
Until Next Time
We hope you have enjoyed our all too short visit to
Charoite. Please join us next month,
for another article, and we shall journey together!
Until then, stay safe, and happy collecting.
Article Contributors
I would like to gratefully acknowledge the generous contributions of our fellow
Charoite
enthusiasts,
collectors, authors, curators, professionals, and club members who made this
work possible.
Thanks.
© 2008 All contributions
to this article are covered under the copyright protection of this article
and by separate and several copyright protection(s), and are to be used for the sole
purposes of
enjoying this scholarly article. They are used gratefully with express written
permission of the
authors, save for generally-accepted scholarly quotes, short in nature, deemed legal to
reference
with the appropriate citation and credit. Reproduction of this article must be
obtained by express
written permission of the author, Kenneth B. Casey, for his contributions, authoring,
photos, and
graphics. Use of all other credited materials requires permission of each
contributor separately.
Links and general contact information are included in the credits above, and throughout
this article.
The advice offered herein are only suggestions; it is the reader's charge to use the
information
contained herein responsibly. DMS is not responsible for misuse or accidents caused
from this
article. All opinions, theories, proofs, and views expressed within this article, and in
others on this
website, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Delaware Mineralogical Society.
Suggested Reading
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About
the Author:
Ken is current webmaster of the Delaware
Mineralogical Society. He has a diploma in
Jewelry Repair, Fabrication & Stonesetting from the Bowman Technical School,
Lancaster, PA, and worked as jeweler.
He has
also studied geology at the University of Delaware.
And,
he is currently a member of the Delaware Mineralogical Society and the Franklin-Ogdensburg
Mineralogical Society.
E-mail:
kencasey98@yahoo.com.
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