Location: Barra do Salinas District, Barra do Salinas, Coronel Murta, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Size: 5.61 x 3.64 x 1.93 inches

Nice large and heavy piece weighing over 1.4 pounds. Showy piece that has blue Kyanite blades in a matrix of quartz, although most of this piece is pure Kyanite and the reason for its weight.

Mineral Species Information

Kyanite is a typically blue and found in aluminium-rich metamorphic pegmatites and sedimentary rock. The presence of Kyanite in metamorphic rocks generally indicates metamorphism deep inside the Earth.

An unusual property of Kyanite is that its hardness varies depending on which direction you test (4.5 -5 one direction and 6.5 to 7 the other) which also makes it a tougher stone to cut and polish. Kyanite is an important index mineral used by geologists to trace metamorphic zones. It is also used in the manufacture of ceramics and abrasives.