Grandidierite

One of the rarest minerals on earth! Named after naturalist Alfred Grandidier is an exceptionally rare gem typically found in Sri Lanka and Madagascar. Its rarity is due to the very specific conditions that need to occur in order for it to grow which is magma rich in magnesium, iron, aluminum, silicon and boron. These elements are not commonly found together which makes it so unusual

Its colors can sometimes be similar to Apatite or Paraiba Tourmaline but because of its trichroism it often has more nuances of color especially with the hints of yellow. They have blueish greens, greenish blues and sometimes green often indicative of waters like oceans, swamps, lakes etc. Most material is opaque and not terribly expensive despite the rarity but the eye clean material is the exceptionally rare material that can be one of the most expensive gems

Hardness: 7 – 7.5
Composition: (Mg,Fe²⁺)Ai₃(BO₃)(SiO₄)O₂