Danalite

Danalite

By Tim Matthews, JD, FGA, GG, DGA,
CEO and President of JTV (retired)
Published: June 2014
Modified: January 2022
Danalite Jewelry

Danalite is a very rare brown, yellow to pink-red colored mineral named for the American mineralogist James Dwight Dana in 1866. Danalite has a limited number of global sources, including the New England states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Delaware. It can be found as red to pink or yellow masses in association with granite pegmatites, skarns, and gneisses. Octahedral or dodecahedral crystals can form up to 10cm. Faceted gems are known but they are typically very small. It was reported that it was successfully synthesized in 2003.

General Information

Common Name
Danalite
Species
Danalite
Transparency
Translucent-Semitranslucent
Refractive Index
1.747-1.771
Optic Character
NA
Pleochroism
None
Hardness
5.5-6
Specific Gravity
3.280-3.460
Toughness
Poor
Luster
Vitreous, Greasy
Fracture
Uneven
Cleavage
Poor, in two directions
Chemical Name
Iron Beryllium Silicate Sulfide
Chemical Formula
Fe2+4Be3(SiO4)3S
Crystal System
Cubic
Chemistry Classification
Silicate

Danalite Colors

  • Brown Danalite
    Brown
  • Gray Danalite
    Gray
  • Pink Danalite
    Pink
  • Red Danalite
    Red
  • White Danalite
    White
  • Yellow Danalite
    Yellow

Countries of Origin

Myanmar; Argentina; Russian Federation; Viet Nam; Czechia; Japan; United States of America; Somalia; Kazakhstan; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Canada; Austria; Sweden; Unknown; Norway; China; Finland; Brazil; Mexico; Australia

History

James Dwight Dana, who Danalite is named after, was a pioneering geologist and mineralogist at Yale University. He wrote the Manual of Mineralogy in 1848 and updated versions of his text are used in college classrooms today.

Care

Danalite is brittle so please take care when handling.