Brazilianite
A variety of Minerals
What is Brazilianite?
As the name brazilianite may hint, the first and most abundant source of this beautiful gem is Brazil. It is unique in the gem world because when subjected to extreme heat, like that used in jewelry cutting, it will lose most of its color.
Uses & Applications
Brazilianite is one of the few phosphate minerals to be used as a mineral gemstone. While the larger pieces are often flawed, the smaller pieces are cut and used in jewelry. This beautiful mineral makes an excellent addition to any collection. Only its softness and fragility keep brazilianite from gaining more popularity as a gemstone.
Healing Properties
Brazilianite is said to be an excellent stone for enhancing a person's willpower and supporting the manifestation of their wishes, as long as it is used in an ethically-responsible way. It should be used on the Solar Plexus and Sacral chakras to enable creativity and allow for better understanding of personal power. Use it for meditation or carry a small piece with you at all times.
Optical Properties
- Refractive Index
- 1.602-1.625
- Birefringence
- 0.018-0.021
- Pleochroism
- Very weak
- Optical Character
- Biaxial positive
- Dispersion
- 0.014
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Brazilianite Localities Map
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Associated Chakras
Key Characteristics
Characteristics of Brazilianite
Brazilianite is sometimes used as a gemstone. Brazilianite is relatively new phosphate minerals along with amblygonite, turquoise and apatite that are used as gemstones. Brazilianite is often confused with amblygonite, apatite, chrysoberyl, beryl, and topaz. Even though it was first described in 1945, its discovery was actually in 1944 but it was believed it was chrysoberyl until analysis was done to the mineral indicating a new mineral. The State of Minas Gerais is the largest producer and exporter of gemstones in Brazil and is accountable for 74 percent of the official production which includes brazilianite. It is soft and fragile causing it not to be a popular stone. When brazilianite is heated, it loses it yellow color and becomes colorless.
Formation of Brazilianite
Brazilianite is typically found in granite pegmatite and it is often found the cavities within the pegmatite where quartz, beryl and mica are also found. Different habits of brazilianite have been found in different locations. Brazilianite is often found with muscovite. The Corrego Frio pegmatite where brazilianite is found in Brazil is an altered pegmatite dike that had weathered biotite schist between its walls. In New Hampshire, the pegmatite where the brazilianite was found was made up of 99 percent albite, mica, and quartz. Brazilianite also found with tourmaline and feldspar. The sequence of the mineral formation in the pegmatite in Brazil had not been determined. The sequence of mineral formation in New Hampshire was quartz, brazilianite, apatite, whitlockite, and quartz. During the hydrothermal stage, the pegmatite containing the brazilianite is traversed by a late stage low temperature hydrothermal veins where amblygonite-montebrasite is altered to form brazilianite. Brazilianite has been described from other granite pegmatites in Brazil and the United States. It has also been found in different locations in the world, including Rwanda, Yukon Creek in Canada, Argentina, China, France, and Australia.
Composition of Brazilianite
Brazilianite, NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4 is a hydrous sodium aluminium phosphate that forms through the metasomantic alteration of amblygonite-montebrasite. Amblygonite, LiAlPO4F in combination with quartz goes through an OH-F exchange to make montebrasite, LiAlPO4{F,OH} at temperatures greater than 480 °C. Natromontebrasite, NaAl(PO4)(OH), is formed when montebrasite does though Li-leaching process and there is a Na cation exchange at temperatures less than 450 °C. Brazilianite concludes this process by forming as natromontebrasite combines with fluorapatite, Ca5(PO4)3F. Due to its formation caused by the amblygonite-montebrasite alteration and the presence of tourmaline in the environment where brazilianite forms, different elements are present in the mineral such as P, Al, Fe, Mn, Ba, Sr, Ca, Mg, Na, K, F, and Cl. There are many substitution possibilities in the brazilianite formula. Besides sodium, being replaced by any other element, iron can replace aluminium, and vanadates or arsenates can replace the phosphates.
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Quick Facts
Physical Properties
- Color
- Chartreuse yellow, pale yellow, yellow green, colourless, coloured varieties are colourless in transmitted light
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 5.5
- Density
- 2.998 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Greasy, Vitreous, Sub-vitreous
- Crystal System
- Monoclinic
Chemical Properties
- Chemical Formula
- NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4
- Elements
- Al, H, Na, O, P
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