$18.00
Size: .5″ X .75″
Locality: St. Lawrence County, New York
1 in stock
Dravite Mineral Specimen
DRAVITE
HISTORY, NAME, LOCALITIES: Dravite, pronounced DRAY-vite, has been known since antiquity but was not identified as a tourmaline species until 1883. It is named for its type locality on the Drava River in eastern Europe. Dravite is collected in Australia, Kenya, Nepal, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Sri Lanka, and the United States (New York, Georgia, Maine).
MINERALOGY, PROPERTIES, OCCURRENCE: Dravite [hydrous sodium magnesium aluminum borosilicate, NaMg3Al6(BO3)3(Si6O18)(OH)4] is a member of the tourmaline group that crystallizes in the hexagonal system as short-to-long, hexagonal prisms with generally triangular cross sections and longitudinal striations. It has a Mohs hardness of 7.0-7.5, a subconchoidal-to-uneven fracture, indistinct cleavage, a vitreous luster, and a specific gravity of 3.0-3.2. It is usually translucent to opaque, and rarely transparent; colors are usually dark-to-light brown, but can also include brownish-black, orange, and reddish-brown. Dravite forms mainly in granite pegmatites and also in igneous and metamorphic rocks and veins.
METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES, LORE, USES: Medieval physicians administered powdered dravite to alleviate intestinal disorders. Modern metaphysical practitioners believe that dravite and other “black” members of the tourmaline group deflect and repel negative energies, strengthen the immune system, balance the forces of the body, and help achieve inner peace. Dravite has no technological uses.
COLLECTOR’S INFORMATION: Collectors value dravite for its excellent crystal development and unusual brownish colors, and as one of the less common members of the tourmaline group.
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