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Benitoite

Benitoite, to some extent, is difficult to understand but is a breathtaking gemstone that was only revealed in the early 1900s. It has a sapphire-blue color and was first thought to be an assortment of sapphire. However, X-ray studies revealed that its crystal structure was unlike any mineral previously discovered. It is one of the few minerals that belongs to the second class of the ditrigonal-dipyramidal symmetry group, which must be precisely hexagonal and generates trigonal (triangular) looking crystals. Furthermore, Benitoite is also a fluorescent mineral. Most samples of Benitoite exhibit a stunning pale blue color when exposed to UV light.

Benitoite is connected with a few exceptional minerals such as black-red neptunite, snow white natrolite and brown-yellow joaquinite. The solitary source of this exceptional combination transpires at San Benito, California. They are fashioned in fractures of a serpentine rock from hydrothermal elucidations.

These answers contained a quantity of strange constituents such as barium, titanium, fluorine, cesium, niobium, manganese and lithium in comparatively high deliberations. The reason behind such a clarification and other stipulations resulting the crystallization of these outstanding minerals is still not completely understood. The rare huddles of blue Benitoite and black neptunite on top of a shell of white natrolite generates a truly unbelievable and a one of a sort mineral amalgamation that is a must for a solemn mineral collector.

USES

Benitiote is used for purposes like:

• It is used as a gemstone for making jewellery.
• It is also used as minor barium and titanium ore.
• Another use of Benitoite is as a mineral specimen. The unique crystals of this mineral are highly valuable.