Serendibite
Serendibite is named after "Serendib", the old Arabic name for Sri Lanka, where the mineral was found.
Serendibite forms small blue-green, blue-grey to deep blue, sometimes yellow, transparent tabular crystals. The material is strongly pleochroic: yellowish green, bluish green and violet-blue.
Cut stones are rare and usually of small size.
Serendibite forms small blue-green, blue-grey to deep blue, sometimes yellow, transparent tabular crystals. The material is strongly pleochroic: yellowish green, bluish green and violet-blue.
Cut stones are rare and usually of small size.
| General Information | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Chemical Formula |
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| Physical Properties of Serendibite | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mohs Hardness | 6.5 to 7, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||||||||||
| Specific Gravity | 3.43 to 3.44, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||||||||||
| Cleavage Quality | None, Gemstones (2009) More from other references | |||||||||||||||||
| Fracture | Uneven, Gemstones (2009) | |||||||||||||||||
| Optical Properties of Serendibite | ||||||||||||||||||
| Refractive Index | 1.696 to 1.702, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||||||||||
| Optical Character | Biaxial/-, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||||||||||
| Birefringence | 0.005, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||||||||||
| Pleochroism | Strong: yellowish-green -- bluish-green --violet-blue, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||||||||||
| Dispersion | Strong, Gemstones (2009) More from other references | |||||||||||||||||
| Colour | ||||||||||||||||||
| Colour (General) | Bluish-green, green-blue, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||||||||||
| Transparency | Transparent, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||||||||||
| Lustre | Vitreous, Gemstones (2009) | |||||||||||||||||
| Crystallography of Serendibite | ||||||||||||||||||
| Crystal System | Triclinic, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||||||||||
| Habit | Tabular, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) More from other references | |||||||||||||||||
| Geological Environment | ||||||||||||||||||
| Where found: | Occurs generally in skarns affected by boron metasomatism., Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) More from other references | |||||||||||||||||
| Further Information | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mineral information: | Serendibite information at mindat.org | |||||||||||||||||
| Significant Gem Localities | ||||||||||||||||||
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